There are various reports stating that Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti has been selected to be the Biden administration’s Ambassador to India.
NBC News reporter Josh Lederman tweeted on May 27 that NBC can confirm that Garcetti has been selected for the position, as has former Chicago Mayor and Obama administration Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel as the Ambassador to Japan. Thomas Nides, vice chairman of Morgan Stanley and former Deputy Secretary of State in the Obama administration, has been chosen for Ambassador to Israel.
.@NBCNews confirms the following Biden picks for US ambassadors:
– Rahm Emanuel to Japan
– Eric Garcetti to India
– Nicholas Burns to China
– Tom Nides to Israel
Reporting with @carolelee @albamonica @kwelkernbc— Josh Lederman (@JoshNBCNews) May 27, 2021
The Associated Press (AP), Axios, and The Los Angeles Times have also reported that Garcetti is likely to be named to the Ambassador to India position. Garcetti’s office has not responded to the Journal’s request for comment on the matter. Garcetti previously said in December that he wouldn’t serve in the Biden administration because he felt like he was needed in Los Angeles to ameliorate the COVID-19 pandemic ravaging the city, although he hasn’t shot down the potential to serve as the Ambassador to India. Garcetti served as the co-chair for Joe Biden’s 2020 presidential campaign committee.
If Garcetti does become the Ambassador to India, the City Council could appoint an interim mayor until 2022 – when Garcetti’s current mayoral term ends – or call a special election for a replacement, who would serve until the end of 2022, according to KTLA. Garcetti and Emanuel’s purported appointments would mean that two former mayors who are Jewish would be serving in ambassador positions.
The Times noted that Garcetti’s potential appointment would come “as the city slowly recovers from the economic devastation of the COVID-19 pandemic and grapples with an ongoing homelessness crisis.” The AP called Garcetti’s mayoral record “uneven.”
