SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gov. Gavin Newsom announced that he is nominating California Assemblymember Rob Bonta as the next Attorney General.
Bonta represents Alameda, Oakland and San Leandro in the State Legislature and would replace former AG Xavier Becerra who was recently sworn in as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden Administration.
If approved, Bonta would be the first Filipino American to serve as the California Attorney General.
Robyn Rodriguez, the executive director of UC Davis' Bulosan Center for Filipinx Studies, says elevating a Filipino American to the role could inspire future generations of Filipino Americans to pursue politics.
"He demonstrates in his life's work, a commitment to really rooting out racial inequity and recognizing that really the experiences of Asian Americans is really deeply interconnected to that to other communities of color," said Rodriguez.
Rodriguez says she's not just happy for Filipino Americans but also for California's working families and communities of color. The announcement was applauded by Democrats around the state and country.
"Rob represents what makes California great – our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustices," Gov. Newsom said in a press release.
According to Newsom, Bonta has been a leader in fighting for justice system reform and infighting to reverse social injustices.
In a press conference, Bonta said that he will fight for those who have been wronged and make sure everyone is treated equal, especially after the recent attacks on Asian Americans.
"Many of the laws I will enforce as Attorney General are laws that I've authored," Bonta said.
Bonta wants to help prevent hate crimes from happening by supporting the community organizations that are trying to stop hate from the ground level. He wants to work on education of racial biases to address the hate crimes against the Asian American community.
Criminal justice reform has been a big part of his priorities since becoming a California lawmaker.
"I value them and I see them," Bonta said.
Bonta has been a member of the California Assembly since 2012. And he's no stranger to social justice. His father was part of Martin Luthor King Jr.'s organizing in Alabama to pass the Voting Rights Act. His parents also worked with Cesar Chavez, Dolores Huerta and Philip Veracruz to fight for Latino and Filipino farmworkers' rights.
"I became a lawyer because I saw the law as the best way to make a positive difference for the most people, and it would be an honor of a lifetime to serve as the attorney for the people of this great state," Bonta said in the press release.
Bonta's achievements in the Legislature:
- Authored legislation to ban for-profit prisons and detention centers in California
- Authored law to automatically expunge and modify cirminal records for people convicted of minor marijuana charges
- Authored legislation to fight climate change and make sure every community benefits from he state's green economy
- Fought for renters' rights
- introduced bills to support victims of hate crimes
- Authored legislation requiring immigrants to be informed of their rights before speaking to ICE agents
"As California’s Attorney General, I will work tirelessly every day to ensure that every Californian who has been wronged can find justice and that every person is treated fairly under the law," Bonta said.
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