California Gov. Gavin Newsom has picked progressive State Assemblymember Rob Bonta to be the state's new attorney general, replacing outgoing Attorney General Xavier Becerra.
Bonta will be the state's second Asian American attorney general and first Filipino statewide officer. "I'm so humbled by the trust and the faith and the confidence you place in me," Bonta said as Gov. Newsom introduced him Wednesday.
The Democrat was first elected to the State Assembly's 18th District in 2012, the first Filipino American state legislator in state history. The 48-year-old was born in the Philippines and got his doctorate at Yale Law School.
Bonta's career as a publicly-elected official started as a Director of the Alameda Health Care District, later becoming Alameda Vice Mayor. Now, as a State Assemblymember, Bonta represents Oakland, Alameda and San Leandro.
"What a remarkable career Rob Bonta has had," Gov. Newsom said Wednesday.
"I became a lawyer because I saw the law as the best way to make a positive difference for the most people, and it would be an honor of a lifetime to serve as the attorney for the people of this great state," Bonta said Tuesday. "As California’s Attorney General, I will work tirelessly every day to ensure that every Californian who has been wronged can find justice and that every person is treated fairly under the law."
Asian American leaders from across California had called on the governor to make the next attorney general someone of Asian descent, given the current surge in violent attacks against Asian Americans in the Bay Area and nationwide.
Earlier this month, Becerra was confirmed to lead President Joe Biden's Health and Human Services Department. It's the latest in a series of moves triggered by Biden's November election, as the governor also appointed Alex Padilla to replace Vice President Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate.
Rep. Adam Schiff, among others, had been rumored as a possible choice. The Los Angeles area Congressman had been making a private push for the job with the blessing of top-ranking Democrats in the nation's capital like House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, according to POLITICO.
Bonta will serve out the remainder of Becerra's term into 2022, if confirmed.
Correction: An earlier version of this story said Bonta would be the state's first Asian American attorney general. He will be the second in California history, following then-Attorney General Kamala Harris.
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