LA County DA Cooley announces exploratory committee for state AG

Los Angeles County District Attorney Steve Cooley moved closer today to formally seeking the job of California attorney general, announcing the formation of an exploratory committee.

"Many people from law enforcement and throughout the political spectrum are urging me to run for attorney general," he said in a statement, adding that he is proud of his crime-fighting record. "I have the experience and drive to be California's top law enforcement officer," he said.

The 62-year-old Cooley, a Republican, has been elected to three consecutive terms as district attorney in the nation's largest prosecutor's office. Crime in Los Angeles County has fallen during his tenure.

Cooley has spoken for weeks about his interest in the attorney general's job. The only Republican who has formally declared his candidacy for the post is state Sen. Tom Harman of Huntington Beach.

Democratic incumbent Attorney General JerryBrown is widely expected to run for governor, but he has not made a formal announcement.

Democrats considering running for attorney general include Los Angeles City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo, San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris, businessman Chris Kelly (formerly of Facebook), and several state Assembly members, including Ted Lieu of Torrance, Albert Torrico of Newark and Pedro Nava of Santa Barbara.