House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is reportedly pushing California Gov. Gavin Newsom to select the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Rep. Adam Schiff to serve as California’s next attorney general.
The state’s current attorney general Xavier Becerra, was selected to serve in President Biden’s cabinet as the Health and Human Services Secretary.
A source close to Newsom told the Associated Press that Speaker Pelosi and her allies have thrown their support behind Adam Schiff, a powerful nod to the 11-term congressman who lead Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial in the Senate.
Schiff is also quietly lobbying Gov. Newsom behind the scenes to select him for the role as well.
Other candidates under consideration are Assemblyman Rob Bonta; Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg; state Supreme Court Justice Goodwin Liu; Equality California director Rick Zbur; and Contra Costa District Attorney Diana Becton.
Newsom said he will make his announcement public once Becerra is confirmed by the Senate.
The high profile job of attorney general for California has been a stepping stone to higher office on the state or federal level. Current Vice-President Kamala Harris was attorney general from 2010–2016 before successfully running for Senate.
