Xavier Becerra confirmed as California attorney general

The California state Senate confirmed Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-Calif.) as the state’s next attorney general Monday, paving the way for the state to potentially challenge the policies of President Trump.

The 12-term congressman will take his oath of office on Tuesday. Becerra was tapped for the position by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in early December, less than a month after Trump won the presidential election.

Becerra will replace former California Attorney General Kamala Harris (D), who won a U.S. Senate seat in the November elections. Brown’s move to install Becerra as the deep-blue state’s top lawyer is largely seen as an effort to set up a bulwark against the Trump administration and policies potentially targeting civil rights, environmental issues and immigration.

{mosads}”As Attorney General, Xavier will be a champion for all Californians,” Brown said in a statement obtained by the Los Angeles Times.

Former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton won California by nearly 4.5 million votes in 2016. The state has gone blue in every presidential election since 1988 and is widely considered a Democratic stronghold.