Rep. Adam Schiff is quietly pressuring Gov. Gavin Newsom and his allies to appoint him the next California attorney general, according to people familiar with the matter.
Why is it important?: If Newsom Selects Schiff, Chairman of the House Intelligence Committee and Confident of President Nancy Pelosi, House Democrats would lose a powerful party voice in the U.S. House and temporarily relinquish a seat in their scant majority 221-211.
- Still, Pelosi has given his approval to Schiff’s offer, a clear signal he believes he can handle without him. according to the people who know the subject. Spokesmen for Schiff and Pelosi declined to comment.
- The Attorney General’s job would also better position Schiff, a high-profile Democrat who led Russia’s investigation into then-President Trump, to run for senator Dianne Feinstein in the event the 87-year-old decides not running for re-election in 2024.
- Xavier Becerra, who has been appointed by President Biden to take up the post of Secretary of Health and Human Services, has vacated the AG’s job.
The general pictureAlthough Schiff represents the 28th district of California, based in Los Angeles, a safe seat for Democrats, it would take about six months in a special election to select his successor.
- Under Article 1, Section 2 of the Constitution, vacancies in the House are not filled by appointment (as in the Senate) only by election.
Driving the news: Once Becerra is confirmed, Newsom has the authority to appoint his replacement as Attorney General.
- This would be the third nomination by Newsom, which was approved by Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Kamala Harris in the Senate, making him the first Hispanic senator in the United States.
- Newsom filled Padilla’s job with Shirley Weber, making her the first black secretary of state in the state.
The intrigue: Newsom, the approval rating has plummeted to 31% in the face of a withdrawal effort, has not publicly indicated who is inclined to choose to take the position of attorney general, but pressure campaigns across the board state are heating up.
- Other potential candidates are Rob Bonta, a member of the state Assembly, and Rick Chavez Zbur, director of California Equality, an LGBTQ advocacy group, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
- “It’s pretty clear that there are proponents of his favorites,” said Bill Carrick, a California political strategist. “But it’s not clear that this will influence the only person who will make the decision: Governor Gavin Newsom.”