Published: 1/9/2021 3:04:49 PM
Modified: 1/9/2021 3:04:33 PM
New Hampshire Attorney General Gordon MacDonald is stepping back from his job while his nomination to lead the state Supreme Court is pending.
Republican Gov. Chris Sununu nominated MacDonald as chief justice on Thursday for a second time.
In 2019, the Democratic-led Executive Council voted against his confirmation, but Republicans now hold a 4-1 majority.
MacDonald said Friday he has delegated duties to Deputy Attorney General Jane Young, who will serve as acting attorney general. If confirmed, he would succeed Chief Justice Robert Lynn, who returned in August 2019.
During the first nomination process, MacDonald had broad support from the legal community, including from Lynn and his two predecessors. But critics raised questions about his lack of experience as a judge and his involvement in conservative Republican politics.
Associated Press