Los Angeles Mayor may be next U.S. Ambassador to India

Eric Garcetti was considered for a Cabinet post initially but was left out following sexual harassment allegations against his former aide Rick Jacobs.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti

U.S. President Joe Biden is reportedly preparing to name Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti as the next Ambassador to India. Mr Garcetti is a long-time political ally of the President. News of his imminent nomination was reported by Axios, which had, earlier in May, reported that Mr. Garcetti was being considered for the New Delhi job.

Mr. Garcetti, a co-chair for the Biden campaign, was considered for a Cabinet post, according to Axios , but did not make it due to sexual harassment allegations against his former aide Rick Jacobs that came to light.

Two-term Mayor

Mr. Garcetti is now approaching the end (December 2022) of his second term as Mayor of the country’s second largest city, a post he has held since 2013.

Mr Garcetti is a former U.S. Navy lieutenant and a  graduate of Columbia University and a Rhodes Scholar. He also served on the California board of international rights advocacy organisation Human Rights Watch, frequent critics of the government’s rights record.

The U.S.-India relationship enjoys bipartisan support in the U.S. with ties in trade, defence and the COVID-19 response growing across the Trump and Biden administrations. The two countries have also had to navigate their relationship in the context of growing Chinese assertiveness and aggression. The next U.S. Ambassador to India will inherit these issues as well as having to work with India in other forums — such as the Quad.

Mr. Biden is expected to send the Senate a number of Ambassadorial nominations next week.