Legislator Robert Bonta named new AG

Gov. Gavin Newsom nominated Assemblyman Robert A. Bonta to be California's next attorney general. The four-term Assemblyman has been a prominent voice for changes in criminal justice such as an end to bail and the death penalty.

The governor announced his choice at a news conference at the International San Francisco hotel on Wednesday. Newsom noted the last four people to hold the office were recently confirmed U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Xavier Becerra, Vice President Kamala D. Harris and former Gov. Jerry Brown.

"It's remarkable footsteps that Rob Bonta will step into," Newsom said. "This is an incredibly important office in the cause of, yes, racial justice, social justice, economic justice, environmental justice."

For weeks, Bonta's name has been at or near the top of the lists of many watching for the pick. The news conference appeared to confirm suspicions Newsom decided days ago. It began with a slickly produced video touting not only Bonta, but his parents, who were organizers with the United Farm Workers of America and marched for civil rights.

"My parents are my heroes and my role models," said Bonta, D-Alameda. "They taught me to fight injustice, right wrongs and to help people. I wouldn't be here today without them. "

The appointment followed a weekslong campaign by Asian American groups urging Newsom to choose an Asian American nominee. Bonta is Filipino American, and after Harris will be the second California attorney general with Asian roots.

California Supreme Court Justice Goodwin H. Liu and Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Torrance, were also widely rumored choices. The past year has seen increased reports of violent crimes against Asian Americans.

"I am delighted and proud to see my friend and law school classmate Rob Bonta nominated for attorney general," Liu said in a statement. Both are graduates of Yale Law School.

In a conversation with The Daily Journal late last year, attorney Joseph W. Cotchett said he was going to urge Newsom to consider an Asian American candidate, and suggested Bonta as a good choice. The partner with Cotchett, Pitre & McCarthy LLP has advised multiple Democratic governors on judicial appointments.

"As a Filipino American, he represents the very best of the legal profession and our state," Cotchett said in an email. "The attorney general spot requires someone who will take on Wall Street, big oil and those who prey upon consumers."

Bonta, 48, has also been a political ally to Newsom. Since being elected to the Assembly, he's pushed legislation to regulate health care, limit evictions, end the use of private prisons and phase out cash bail.

He also has more real world legal experience coming into the job than his predecessor. Bonta clerked for Judge Alvin W. Thompson in the U.S. District Court of Connecticut. He also spent four years as an associate at Keker & Van Nest (now Keker, Van Nest & Peters LLP) and nine years as a deputy city attorney in San Francisco. Unlike Becerra, Bonta kept his California State Bar membership active while serving in political office.

Another difference between the two is that many saw Becerra as a Washington, D.C. political figure. A 12-term congressional representative who rose to chair the House Democratic Caucus, his 2017 appointment by Gov. Jerry Brown caught many by surprise. Some speculated Becerra accepted the job for the opportunity to fight high-profile legal battles against President Donald Trump, and that he would head back into a federal role if Trump left office.

Becerra was a member of the California Assembly from 1990 to 1992. Bonta has served eight years in the Assembly, and would have had to leave by the end of 2024 because of term limits.

Bonta is known for partnering with Sen. Robert Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, in an effort to phase out cash bail. He carried his own version of SB 10, Hertzberg's 2017 bill to phase out cash bail. SB 10 ultimately passed, but was reversed by a referendum passed by voters in November.

The pair came back this year with twin bills to set bail at zero for most offenses they termed nonviolent. Bonta is also anti-death penalty. In an emailed statement, Hertzberg clearly seemed to think he had a newly powerful ally on criminal justice issues.

"I look forward to continuing our long and hard fought effort to bend the arc of justice toward ending cash bail," Hertzberg said.

Becerra made national headlines with well over 100 lawsuits against the Trump administration. With Democrat President Joe Biden now in office, Bonta said his focus would be "more inward looking," including taking on "our fundamentally broken criminal justice system."

But the national profile makes the office highly desirable. Multiple off the record sources said Newsom had grown weary of the intense lobbying from many people.

Much of this was on behalf of Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Hollywood, a favorite of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, but was also associated with Bonta and others.

The hours before Wednesday's news conference took on the feel of a reality television show as reports leaked out that prospects such as Schiff, Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg, state Sen. Anna Caballero, D-Salinas, and Equality California Executive Director Rick Zbur had received calls telling them they had not been chosen.

Bonta still faces confirmation votes in the Assembly and Senate, but is expected to be approved easily. He said he plans to run for reelection next year; Bonta has $2.4 million in an Assembly campaign account.