The California Attorney General’s position would fall vacant if the Biden administration confirms Becerra as US Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Ash Kalra, former San Jose Assemblyman and current California state Assemblyman representing San Jose, is aiming to replace Attorney General (AG) Xavier Becerra as the state’s top law enforcement official.
President-elect Joe Biden has tapped Becerra to be the next US Secretary of Health and Human Services leaving California’s Attorney General position vacant. According to a report in San José Spotlight, if Becerra confirms the position, California Governor Gavin Newsom will appoint the state’s next AG and Kalra believes it should be him.
Kalra told San José Spotlight that his legislative experience with over a decade of service as a public defender sets him apart and gives him a unique stance on criminal justice reform. Kalra said: “It’s really important that we have an attorney general that is truly progressive and is looking to lead an agency that will protect Californians … That means being aggressive against corporations that are polluting or taking advantage of workers, hospitals that may be taking advantage of patients and creating a criminal justice system that truly focuses on public safety, not simply incarceration.”
Ash Kalra served on the San Jose City Council for eight years before being elected to the State Assembly in 2016. He is the first Indian American to serve in the Californian legislature and is currently in his third term. If he gets appointed to the post of Attorney General, he would become the second Indian American in the position, following Kamala Harris.
