Marshall Coleman (8 June 1942-) was Attorney General of Virginia (R) from 14 January 1978 to 16 January 1982, succeeding Anthony F. Troy and preceding Gerald L. Baliles. He was the first Republican attorney general in the state since Reconstruction.
Biography[]
Marshall Coleman was born in Staunton, Virginia, and he served in the US Marine Corps during the Vietnam War before becoming a lawyer. He served in the House of Delegates from 1972 to 1976, in the State Senate from 1976 to 1978, and as Attorney General from 1978 to 1982. He was the first Republican attorney general of Virginia since Reconstruction, and he lost four cases before the US Supreme Court. He was the Republican nominee for Governor in 1981, but he lost to Democrat Chuck Robb; he lost again in 1989 when Democrat Douglas Wilder became the first elected African-American governor in US history. In 1994, he launched a failed independent bid for the US Senate, and he returned to private practice.