New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is on the shortlist of Joe Biden’s picks for the role of attorney general

© Jeenah Moon / Getty Images
Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York. Jeenah Moon / Getty Images

• New York governor Andrew Cuomo is one of four candidates to be considered as attorney general in the administration of President-elect Joe Biden, an Associated Press source said Friday.
• The other three candidates are former assistant attorney general Sally Yates, outgoing Alabama Senator Doug Jones, and Judge Merrick Garland.
• Cuomo previously said he was “not interested in going to Washington” despite previously serving as Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001 under then-President Bill Clinton.
• You can find more stories on the Business Insider homepage.

High-profile New York Governor Andrew Cuomo is on the shortlist of candidates being considered to become Attorney General Joe Biden’s Attorney General, a source closely involved in the process told the Associated Press on Friday.

Cuomo, who has a longstanding friendship with Biden, is reportedly one of four people applying for the lead role currently held by William Barr.

The other three candidates include former Assistant Attorney General Sally Yates, outgoing Alabama Senator Doug Jones, and Judge Merrick Garland, who was selected by former President Barack Obama’s Supreme Court in 2016.

The role is one of several cabinet selections that have not yet been announced.

Cuomo previously said he was “not interested in going to Washington” after an Axios report published two months ago pointed him to the role.

When asked by reporters what he would say to Biden if offered the job, Cuomo said in October, “I would say, ‘You are an old friend. You are a good friend. You will win this election. You will be the President. I will help you in any way I can. ‘”

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Cuomo reiterated his stance in a radio interview in New York this week, but also said the attorney general job “is really critical especially now,” AP reported.

The role wouldn’t be entirely new to Cuomo, who was New York’s attorney general from 2007 to 2011.

He is also no stranger to Washington, having previously served as Secretary of State for Housing and Urban Development from 1997 to 2001 under then-President Bill Clinton.

Cuomo saw a surge in popularity earlier this year after receiving daily televsion of the COVID-19 response in New York when New York was at the center of the U.S. outbreak.

Over the months, however, the governor received criticism of his dealings with the state nursing homes.

It is not clear how seriously Cuomo is being taken, although the AP source confirmed that no decision has been made and no announcement is imminent.

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