Biography

Throughout his public service career, Terry Goddard has fought to improve the lives of Arizonans – a commitment he continues as Attorney General. Since first taking the oath as Attorney General in 2003, Terry has focused on protecting Arizona families:

• Fighting cyber crime, especially identity theft and Internet crimes against children.
• Suing drug manufacturers and predatory lenders for abuse of consumers.
• Pursuing consumer fraud lawsuits, which to date have returned millions of dollars to Arizona consumers and the State and forced significant changes in business practices.
• Leading the fight against methamphetamine by helping to establish THE ARIZONA METH PROJECT and fighting for tough controls on pseudoephedrine.
• Working to protect Arizona’s environment.

Serving the public is not new for Terry. His first job out of law school was with the Arizona Attorney General’s Office prosecuting white-collar crime. He also spearheaded the effort to bring City Council Districts to Phoenix, dramatically opening up City government in 1982.

Terry was elected Mayor of Phoenix four times, leading the City from 1984 to 1990. In those years, Phoenix made significant strides in expanding and modernizing law enforcement, increasing citizen participation, revitalizing downtown and setting up nationally-recognized programs in arts, economic development and historic preservation. Terry was named “Municipal Leader of the Year” by City and County Magazine and elected President of the National League of Cities in 1989.

From 1995 to 2002, Terry served as the Arizona State Director for the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). In 2000, he was elected to the board of the Central Arizona Water Conversation District, the management entity for the Central Arizona Project.

Terry is an Arizona native, born and raised in Tucson. His father, Sam Goddard, served as Arizona’s Governor in the 1960s. Terry received his undergraduate degree in American history from Harvard and his law degree from Arizona State. He served an active duty tour in the Navy and retired as a Commander after 27 years in the Naval Reserves. He is a student of Arizona history and passionate about preserving Arizona’s rich cultural heritage. Terry and his wife live in downtown Phoenix with their young son.