Walters: Naming of attorney general sets off round of musical chairs

When Gov. Brown chose Los Angeles Congressman Xavier Becerra to succeed Kamala Harris as the state's attorney general Thursday, he gave California politics a jolt of high-voltage electricity.|

When Gov. Jerry Brown chose Los Angeles Congressman Xavier Becerra to succeed Kamala Harris as the state’s attorney general Thursday, he gave California politics a jolt of high-voltage electricity, to wit:

As Becerra ascends to an office second only to the governorship in authority, he immediately becomes the most visible Latino political figure in the nation’s most populous state, with a wide-open pathway to the governorship, a U.S. Senate seat and perhaps even national office.

“Xavier has been an outstanding public servant in the state Legislature, the U.S. Congress and as a deputy attorney general,” Brown said. “I’m confident he will be a champion for all Californians and help our state aggressively combat climate change.”

Whatever he does about climate change, Becerra, as the son of immigrants, will certainly become a symbol of resistance to President-elect Donald Trump’s declared intention to crack down on illegal immigration. As attorney general, he’ll be positioned to use his legal powers for that resistance - and raise his national profile.

Conversely, in bypassing state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, who yearns for the attorney generalship, Brown may have strangled his political career. Jones had already declared his candidacy for attorney general, clearly hoping either for a Brown appointment to fill out Harris’ term or a caretaker appointment that would leave the office up for grabs.

Once he resigns from Congress, Becerra’s seat, representing the heart of Los Angeles, will be filled via special election sometime early next year, touching off a scramble among LA politicians.

Within an hour of Brown’s announcement, former Assembly Speaker John Pérez, who had hinted earlier in the week he might run for Democratic national chairman, declared his candidacy for Becerra’s congressional seat, apparently hoping to clear the field. Becerra’s 34th Congressional District overlaps portions of legislative seats occupied by other politicians, however, including the president pro tem of the state Senate, Kevin de León. De León will be forced out of the Senate by term limits in 2018, and his ambition for higher office is palpable.

As Pérez was declaring his candidacy Thursday morning, de León’s political team was huddling over whether he, too, would run.

Given his position and fundraising ability, were de León to run, it probably would dampen the ambitions of other Los Angeles politicians. But if not, state Sen. Holly Mitchell and Assemblymen Jimmy Gomez and Miguel Santiago, as well as several Los Angeles City Council members, could join the hunt.

In turn, were Becerra’s seat to be filled by a state legislator, his or her seat then would be filled with another special election. And were it de León, there would be another scramble for the Senate’s top leadership position.

The game of musical offices could continue for most of the next year.

Dan Walters is a columnist for the Sacramento Bee.

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