Doug Steinhardt has declined an interim appointment to serve as U.S. Attorney for New Jersey, citing his dedication to his state Senate seat and legal career, sources confirmed to the New Jersey Globe.
Steinhardt, a Republican state senator from the 23rd District, was offered the position by President Donald Trump last month and was expected to be sworn in as acting U.S. Attorney in early February. However, he ultimately informed the White House that he would not accept the role, citing concerns over stepping away from both his legislative responsibilities and his position at the law firm Florio Perrucci.
The interim U.S. Attorney position comes with an initial 120-day limit, after which the appointment must either be confirmed by the U.S. Senate or extended through a vote by the state’s 17 U.S. District Court judges. Steinhardt’s decision to decline the role was partly influenced by the uncertainty surrounding confirmation—if the Senate or the court did not extend his tenure, he would have given up his Senate seat and law firm position for just four months in office.
Adding to the complexity, New Jersey’s two U.S. Senators, Cory Booker and Andy Kim, confirmed that they had not yet engaged in discussions with the Trump administration regarding the U.S. Attorney appointment. Either senator could have exercised the blue slip privilege, effectively blocking Steinhardt’s nomination.
Steinhardt’s decision has wide-ranging political implications. His departure would have triggered a special election for his state Senate seat, a contest that some Republican contenders had already begun preparing for. Additionally, Assembly Minority Leader John DiMaio had been positioning himself to succeed Steinhardt in the Senate, while potential candidates were already eyeing DiMaio’s Assembly seat.
Within the Republican leadership, discussions had also begun about selecting a new GOP minority leader in Trenton. Meanwhile, former Republican State Chairman Michael Lavery had emerged as a frontrunner to take over Steinhardt’s role as Warren County Republican Chairman.
With Steinhardt stepping aside, attention now turns to Trump’s next pick for U.S. Attorney in New Jersey. Several names had already been under consideration, including:
- State Sen. Michael Testa, Jr.
- Assemblyman Jay Webber
- Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott McBride
- Andrew Carey, former Middlesex County Prosecutor and counsel to the U.S. Attorney’s Office since 2019
Both McBride and Carey have ties to former Governor Chris Christie, having worked at the U.S. Attorney’s Office during Christie’s tenure. McBride had also donated to Christie’s 2024 presidential campaign, making him a politically connected contender.
For now, Vikas Khanna, who assumed the role of acting U.S. Attorney on January 8 following Philip Sellinger’s resignation, will remain in office until May 8, unless a permanent appointment is made before then.