Gov. Chris Sununu is nominating his current legal counsel, John Formella, to serve as New Hampshire's next Attorney General.
If he's confirmed by the Executive Council, the 34-year-old Formella will have trod a familiar path for recent attorneys general. Two of the last four people to hold that job in New Hampshire got there after serving as counsel to a Governor: Kelly Ayotte for Craig Benson; Michael Delaney for John Lynch.
Both of them had also worked as prosecutors before getting tapped to lead the state's Department of Justice.
Prosecutorial experience is something John Formella lacks. But he has Sununu's complete confidence.
In a statement, Sununu citied Formella's "incredible legal skill and exceptional work ethic" as key to helping him lead the state’s top law enforcement agency.
Prior to joining Sununu's office, Formella, who lives in Portsmouth and sits on that city's Zoning Board, practiced law at Pierce Atwood, where he focused on business and environmental matters.
Sununu had named the state's previous attorney general, Gordon MacDonald, to serve as chief justice of the New Hampshire Supreme Court. MacDonald is scheduled to be sworn in to that job this week.
