SACRAMENTO >> Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday named a longtime U.S. congressman from Los Angeles, Xavier Becerra, to replace Kamala Harris as California’s attorney general.
“Xavier has been an outstanding public servant — in the State Legislature, the U.S. Congress and as a deputy attorney general,” said Governor Brown. “I’m confident he will be a champion for all Californians and help our state aggressively combat climate change.”
Becerra, 58, is chairman of the House Democratic Caucus and was the first Latino representative to serve on the Ways and Means Committee. His nomination must be confirmed by the California Senate and Assembly.
He began his legal career in 1984, advocating for people with mental illness, and went on to serve as a deputy attorney general in the California Department of Justice from 1987-1990.
The son of working-class parents, Becerra — who earned his undergraduate and law degrees from Stanford — was the first in his family to graduate from a university, according to the announcement. His mother was born in Jalisco, Mexico.
“Governor Brown and our state leaders lean forward when it comes to advancing and protecting the rights and interests of the more than 38 million people in California,” said Becerra in statement. “I’m deeply honored by Governor Brown’s confidence in me to serve as our state’s next chief law enforcement officer. It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve my fellow Californians in Congress for the past 24 years, fighting for working families like my parents, and I look forward to continuing that battle as California’s attorney general.”
Santa Clara County District Attorney Jeff Rosen was at one point rumored to be on the governor’s short list. The ambitious prosecutor is serving his second term after becoming the first candidate in more than 80 years to defeat a sitting district attorney in the county, in 2010.
Rosen has taken unorthodox positions on criminal justice reforms that have helped reduce the state’s overcrowded prisons, a key focus of the Brown administration in the face of a federal court order. He was only one of three prosecutors to support easing California’s tough three strikes law. He also came out in favor of Proposition 47, which reduced some drug offenses and theft crimes to misdemeanors.
But Rosen stayed neutral rather than supporting Proposition 57, a pet project of the governor’s. The measure, supported overwhelmingly by voters earlier this month but strongly opposed by law enforcement, will create more opportunities for prison inmates to apply for early parole.
Reporter Tracey Kaplan contributed to this story.
