Photo by the California State Assembly via Wikimedia Creative Commons
On Wednesday, California Governor Gavin Newsom nominated Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta as California attorney general, The Los Angeles Times reports. Bonta would be the first Filipino American to serve as attorney general.
If confirmed by the California state legislature, Bonta will replace former attorney general Xavier Becerra, who left his position to serve as President Joe Biden’s health and human services secretary. He would hold the position until 2022.
Bonta is an attorney who graduated from Yale Law school. Before shifting his career into politics, he served as the deputy city attorney in San Francisco, The Guardian reports. He has been a California State Assemblyman for the 18th district in Alameda since 2012
The 48-year-old assemblyman has become a leading advocate for criminal justice reform, according to The Los Angeles Times. He has campaigned to eliminate the death penalty and cash bail for a number of offenses.
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“Rob represents what makes California great — our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustices,” Governor Newsom said Wednesday. “Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian.”
Bonta has also received ringing endorsements from AAPI organizations and politicians. California State Senator Richard Pan (D-Sacramento) called the appointment “a major step towards the equitable representation of California’s fastest-growing racial and ethnic groups, Asian Pacific Islanders,” according to The Los Angeles Times.
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