NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The top legal counsel for Republican Gov. Bill Lee has taken over the state's attorney general office.
Earlier this year, the Tennessee Supreme Court announced that Jonathan Skrmetti would replace Attorney General Herbert Slatery, a Republican who announced in May that he wouldn't seek another eight-year term.
Skrmetti was sworn in Thursday.
Tennessee is the only state in the U.S. where its Supreme Court appoints the attorney general.
Prior to serving in Lee's administration, Skrmetti worked as the attorney general's chief deputy from 2018-2021.
Skrmetti is a member of the Federalist Society, a conservative legal organization that has championed judges appointed by former President Donald Trump. He graduated from Harvard Law School, where he served as editor-in-chief of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.