Dems in play for attorney general post
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra transformed his job into one with a national platform — which is why some top state Democrats working in Washington are interested in the position now that President-elect Joe Biden has picked Becerra to be secretary of health and human services.
Among the most recognized names are two Democrats who carved national reputations as leaders of the antiPresident Trump resistance: House Intelligence chair Rep. Adam Schiff of Burbank and East Bay Rep. Eric Swalwell, who serves on both the Intelligence and Judiciary committees. Both are on the long list of possible appointees Gov. Gavin Newsom can choose from to fill the job if Becerra is confirmed by the Senate and leaves Sacramento with two years left in his term.
Biden’s selection gives New
som the possibility of making sweeping changes in California’s power structure. He was already poised to name a replacement for Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris when she resigns her Senate seat. Speculation has centered on California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, which would open his job for a pick named by the governor.
Now, Newsom may get to name California’s top law enforcement official as well.
All of Newsom’s choices are fraught. There are demographic considerations: Harris is the only Black woman in the Senate, but Latino groups note that 40% of California’s population is Latino. And whoever Newsom names will have to be a credible candidate in 2022 to win a full sixyear term.
Many of those same factors will be present as Newsom makes his pick for attorney general, all the more so because the job has been a launching pad in recent years to higher office. Becerra replaced Harris when she was elected to the Senate. Harris’ predecessor was Jerry Brown, who went on to his second twoterm stint as governor.
Here are some of the names that have emerged:
Schiff: He’s one of California’s bestknown Democrats in Congress, having led the impeachment of Trump in the House and argued the case for conviction in the Senate. He’s also a former federal prosecutor.
“The governor has a lot of tough choices ahead of him, and Adam certainly would be open to talking to him about how he can best serve,” said a source close to Schiff, speaking on condition of anonymity to talk freely about the Burbank Democrat’s thinking.
There’s one issue with Schiff that is shared by other House members who might want Becerra’s job: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi needs them, too. She will have a sharply narrowed majority in the next Congress, and leaving any Democrat’s seat vacant even for a few months will make passing legislation under Biden that much harder.
Swalwell: The former Alameda County prosecutor became a regular presence on cable news and social media as he skewered Trump from two House committees that investigated the president and many of those close to him. The Dublin Democrat ran briefly for president last year, so he’s clearly got his eye on bigger things. Several sources said he is reaching out to state political leaders to explore the attorney general’s position.
Rep. Ted Lieu: The Democrat from Torrance ( Los Angeles County) has also spent the past four years as a Trump irritant, taking on the president in social media and elsewhere. Born in Taiwan, Lieu immigrated to the U. S. when he was 3. California has never had an Asian American attorney general.
Rep. Katie Porter: The former UC Irvine law professor has been on the rise in Washington for her interrogations of Trump officials and corporate leaders during committee meetings. Just reelected to her second term, she may see a more promising road in front of her in Washington than in Sacramento.
One big drawback for Porter: There’s no guarantee Democrats could hold her Orange County House seat. Two other Democrats in Orange County who joined Porter in flipping GOPheld seats in 2018 were defeated last month by Republicans.
Judge Teri Jackson: A year ago, Newsom named Jackson to the state’s First District Court of Appeal, making her the first Black woman on the court. She was previously the first Black woman to be a San Francisco Superior Court judge.
Assembly member Rob Bonta: Born in the Philippines, the Alameda Democrat will be termed out in 2024. He has said he is considering a challenge to Alameda County District Attorney Nancy O’Malley in two years.
Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg: The former top Democrat in the state Senate, Steinberg has long had a relationship with Newsom and currently cochairs the governor’s Council of Regional Homeless Advisors.
Contra Costa County District Attorney Diana Becton: The first woman and first African American to serve as district attorney in Contra Costa has emphasized the need to address racial and economic disparities in the criminal justice system.
San Francisco City Attorney Dennis Herrera: Herrera is wellknown to Newsom; he has been city attorney since 2001, overlapping Newsom’s sixyear stint as mayor. He also has a national profile, thanks to his shepherding of samesex marriage legalization cases to the Supreme Court.
Equality California leader Rick Zbur: The executive director of the largest LGBTQ civil rights organization in California has been a longtime environmental law attorney.
Former state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones: He represented Sacramento in the Assembly and served two terms as insurance commissioner before losing a bid for attorney general in 2018.
Former state Sen. HannahBeth Jackson: The former Santa Barbara County prosecutor has served as chair of the state Senate Judiciary Committee.
Antonia Hernández: She’s president and CEO of the California Community Foundation philanthropic organization and was previously general counsel of the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund, a national civil rights organization dedicated to protecting Latinos.