U.S. Senator G. Douglas “Doug” Jones (D-AL) is Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s first choice to be the next U.S. Attorney General, according to a Tuesday report.
Politico Playbook, citing “very, very informed chatter (emphasis added by Politico),” reported that Jones is currently alone atop the list of contenders to be the nation’s top law enforcement official, should Biden win the November 3 general election over President Donald J. Trump.
Most other cabinet spots each have multiple big-names vying to rise above the pack.
For example, Ron Klain and Steve Ricchetti are reportedly under consideration to be Biden’s chief of staff, with Klain seemingly being the favorite. Both men were senior officials in the Obama administration.
Reliance on Obama allies seems to be a theme of Biden’s cabinet contenders, as Susan Rice is reportedly a potential choice for secretary of state.
Other highlights include Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti being the favorite to be Biden’s transportation secretary. Garcetti has implemented his own version of the Green New Deal in LA that intends to phase-out gas power usage, including as fuel for vehicles, through “drastic” measures.
The report noted that “nothing at all is set, ever.”
“The BIDEN campaign says they aren’t preparing anything, and it’s way too early to even think about this (though a formal transition effort is already underway),” Politico added.
Jones is set to face Republican Tommy Tuberville in the upcoming election, which is now three weeks away.
Alabama’s incumbent junior senator was an early endorser of Biden’s 2020 presidential bid and has defended him during some of the most controversial moments of the campaign, including when Biden was accused of sexual assault by former staffer Tara Reade. Jones even spoke in a featured slot at this year’s Democratic National Convention on behalf of Biden, and Jones touts his close friendship with Biden on the campaign trail.
Yellowhammer News columnist Dale Jackson has previously written about Jones better positioning himself for a Biden cabinet post than reelection in Alabama.
This sentiment was echoed Tuesday in a statement by National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesperson Paige Lindgren.
“Anti-Trump Democrat Doug Jones has shifted his focus from his re-election to auditioning for an appointment in a potential Biden Administration,” she said. “Jones’ refusal to meet with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett reflects the fact that he’s no longer interested in representing Alabamians and is more focused on climbing the political ladder instead.”
Sean Ross is the editor of Yellowhammer News. You can follow him on Twitter @sean_yhn
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