Rep. Adam Schiff is quietly lobbying Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies to appoint him the next California Attorney General, according to people familiar with the case.
Why it mattersIf Newsom elects Schiff, chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and a confidant of speaker Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats would lose a strong party vote in the US House and temporarily relinquish a seat in their small 221-211 majority.
- Nonetheless, Pelosi has approved Schiff’s offer, a clear sign that she thinks she can manage without him. according to people familiar with the case. Spokesmen for Schiff and Pelosi declined comment.
- The Attorney General’s job would also be in a better position for Schiff, a high-profile Democrat who led the Russian investigation into then-President Trump, to run for Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat, should the 87-year-old decide to leave not stand for re-election in 2024. .
- The AG’s job is being vacated by Xavier Becerra, who has been nominated by President Biden as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
The big pictureAlthough Schiff represents California’s 28th district in Los Angeles, a safe seat for Democrats, it would take about six months for a special election to elect his successor.
- Under Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, vacancies in housing are not filled by appointment – as in the Senate – only by election.
Driving the news: Once Becerra is confirmed, Newsom will have the power to appoint his replacement as Attorney General.
- It would be the third high-profile appointment for Newsom, who offered Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Kamala Harris in the Senate, making him the US’s first Spanish senator.
- Newsom then filled Padilla’s job with Shirley Weber, making her the state’s first black secretary of state.
The intrigues: Newsom, whose approval rating has dropped to 31% in the face of a recall, has not publicly stated who he’s inclined to take for the attorney general job, but lobbying campaigns across the state are getting hotter.
- Other potential candidates include Rob Bonta, a member of the State Assembly, and Rick Chavez Zbur, director of Equality California, an LGBTQ advocacy group, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
- “It’s pretty clear that there are advocates for their favorites,” said Bill Carrick, a California political strategist. “But it’s not clear if that will have any impact on the one person who will make the decision: Governor Gavin Newsom.”