Dave Aronberg out of the running for open U.S. Attorney job

Palm Beach State Attorney Dave Aronberg plans to remain in that role, deciding against an effort to become the next U.S. Attorney in the Southern District of Florida.

Rumors were that Aronberg was considering a push for the job, which opened up when former U.S. Attorney Ariana Fajardo Orshan resigned shortly after President Joe Biden came into office.

But as flagged by the Miami Herald’s Jay Weaver, Aronberg’s name is not among the final list of applicants pursuing the gig.

Six attorneys based out of Miami will interview in front of a U.S. House nominating commission created by Florida congressional Democrats. They are Jacqueline Arango, Matthew Dates, Jonathan Etra, Michael Hantman, Markenzy Lapointe, and Andres Rivero.

Aronberg was first elected as State Attorney in the 15th Judicial Circuit in 2012. He also served eight years in the Florida Senate.

In declining to seek the U.S. Attorney position, Aronberg wrote a letter to several South Florida officials saying he wanted to remain in his current role, after winning a third term last year.

In that letter, Aronberg added that “our current national climate calls for a history-making appointment of the first Black U.S. Attorney from Florida.” Just two of the six reported finalists — Dates and Lapointe — are Black.

President Biden will have the final say in who takes over the U.S. Attorney role. Typically, a state’s two Senators will send a suggested nominee to the President, as U.S. Attorney nominations must be approved by the U.S. Senate.

But since Florida’s two Senators are both Republicans — and President Biden is a Democrat — several of the state’s Democratic House members have established a dueling nominating commission. That body is set to interview the six candidates listed above.

Rubio and Sen. Rick Scott are also accepting applications for the traditional nominating commission, though the Democrat-run body may have more sway in affecting the Biden administration’s ultimate choice.