Christie Taps Chief Of Staff O'Dowd For Attorney General

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Gov. Chris Christie is nominating his chief of staff to be the state's next attorney general.

At a Statehouse news conference Monday, Kevin O'Dowd called his nomination a tremendous honor and opportunity and thanked the governor for his continued confidence in him.

O'Dowd is a former assistant U.S. attorney who worked for Christie when he was U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

John Hoffman has been serving as acting attorney general since the governor named Jeffrey Chiesa in June to temporarily fill the seat of the late U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg.

O'Dowd's nomination will go to the state Senate. Democratic Senate President Steve Sweeney issued a statement Monday praising the governor's pick.

Christie says additional staff changes will be announced before he begins his second term in mid-January.

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