The White House said on Tuesday it won’t nominate a successor to outgoing Attorney General Eric Holder until after the Nov. 4 midterm elections.
A White House official said the delay was sought by Senate Democrats, many of whom are facing tough reelection battles in their bid to keep the majority.
The official said that given the seriousness of the position, the White House opted to wait until early or mid November to announce a pick for attorney general so the nomination doesn’t get mired in election-year politics.
It’s not clear who President Barack Obama will select for the powerful job, but three names on the short-list include U.S. Solicitor General Donald Verrilli, Labor Secretary Tom Perez and former Obama White House Counsel Kathryn Ruemmler.
In an interview with TPM, Holder declined to reveal who he’d like to see replace him, saying instead he’s “confident the president will come up with somebody who will continue the work we’ve started and that I’m very proud of over the last six years.”
“I’m hopeful that we’ll have — and I’m confident that we will have — somebody who shares my views on protecting the right to vote, [who] will be really aggressive when it comes to enforcing civil rights statutes,” Holder said on Tuesday. “Somebody who will be very much in tune with our Smart On Crime initiative.”
White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters on Tuesday that when Obama announces a nominee, the Senate ought to act quickly to confirm the person.
Holder has agreed to stay on until his successor is confirmed.
