With Attorney General Eric Holder expected to announce late Thursday he soon will leave his post, speculation has swirled as to who will replace the man who has served as the nation’s top law enforcement officer for the entire Obama presidency. Here’s a look at a few potential candidates.
Solicitor General Donald Verrilli
The top candidate on many political experts’ list, Verrilli, 57, has served as solicitor general since June 2011. As the federal government’s top attorney, he has argued several high-profile cases on behalf of the Obama administration before the Supreme Court. He was on the winning end of landmark cases in which the justices struck down the Defense of Marriage Act, which defined marriage as the union of a man and a woman in 2013, and upheld the Affordable Care Act a year earlier.
But he’s also fallen short in other big cases before the high court, losing the Hobby Lobby case that addressed whether businesses can opt out of a key Obamacare provision on religious grounds, and failed to win for his boss Shelby County v. Holder, which struck down a key component of the Civil Rights-era Voting Rights Act.
Even his successful defense of Obamacare in 2012 received unflattering reviews from some legal experts.
Still, Verrilli’s career experience puts him in good shape to inherit the Justice Department‘s top job. He previously served as deputy counsel to President Obama and as an associate deputy attorney general. Prior to his government service, he was a partner for many years in Jenner & Block, and co-chaired the firm’s Supreme Court practice.
Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick
Speculation that Patrick may be Holder’s successor quickly amped up after news the two-term Democratic governor was traveling to Washington on Thursday. His office later said the trip was pre-planned, with the governor scheduled to meet with the Congressional Black Caucus in the capital on Friday.
But his resume could be what Obama is looking for. Patrick, 58, served as assistant attorney general for the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division during the Clinton administration, working on issues including racial profiling and police misconduct.
As Massachusetts’ first black governor, he has pushed hard for gun control legislation, supports legalizing same-sex marriage, made education reform a priority of his administration and has championed renewable energy measures like wind power.
Patrick, a Chicago native, also isn’t running for re-election this year.
California Attorney General Kamala Harris
A strong Obama supporter, Harris also has pushed for gun control her entire career, which included a stint as San Francisco’s district attorney.
But the president may have other plans for Harris, 49, as she has been mentioned as a possible nominee for the Supreme Court should a seat open up before he leaves office.
Other potential replacements for Holder include:
• Deputy Attorney General James Cole
• Preet Bharara, U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York
• Kathryn Ruemmler, former White House counsel, 2011-14
Long shots:
• Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo.
• Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark.
• Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn.
