Gov.-elect Phil Murphy on Tuesday announced the Bergen County prosecutor as his nominee for state attorney general and vowed that his pick will lead the fight against the Trump administration on issues ranging from health care to voting rights and the environment.

Gurbir S. Grewal, an Indian-American Sikh, is Murphy’s first high-level nomination — and a historic one — as the Democrat works to fill out an administration set to take office on Jan. 16. If Grewal is confirmed by the state Senate, which seems all but certain, Murphy said he would become the first South Asian attorney general in New Jersey and the first Sikh to hold the position in any state.

“The American dream is alive and well in New Jersey,” Grewal said at a news conference in Trenton where Murphy made the announcement.

Attorney general is one of the most powerful positions in New Jersey government, serving as the state's top cop and top lawyer. The person in that role leads the 7,200-employee Department of Law and Public Safety, which includes the state police, civil rights enforcement, consumer affairs and civil litigation.

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Murphy has stressed on multiple occasions since his November election, and repeated Tuesday, that he wants his attorney general to band together with attorneys general from other states to sue to block policies coming out of a Republican-controlled Washington, D.C.

“In light of all that is being thrown at us by the president, we need an attorney general unafraid to join our fellow states in using the law to protect all New Jersey residents.” Murphy said. “Whether it is seeking to protect our immigrant communities and 'Dreamers' from discrimination, fighting to protect the Affordable Care Act from being undermined, keeping sensitive data away from people bent on suppressing voting rights, standing up for our LGBT community, or protecting our air and water from a hostile EPA, to name just a few, Gurbir will do just that.”

Asked about those expectations Tuesday, Grewal, a Democrat, said it was “too early to give you specific litigation priorities.”

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Grewal, 44, is a Glen Rock resident and former federal prosecutor who has led the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office since Republican Gov. Chris Christie tapped him for the role in January 2016. He served in an acting capacity until the state Senate confirmed him to a five-year term in November 2016.

Christie had nominated Grewal to become Bergen County prosecutor once before, in 2013, but the Senate never scheduled hearings on the nomination, allowing former Prosecutor John L. Molinelli to continue a tenure that ultimately spanned 14 years.

Grewal has earned plaudits for his office’s work in combating the opioid crisis in Bergen County and promoting better relations between police and the people they serve.

During his time at the helm, his office also investigated and dismissed a citizen’s complaint that Christie had engaged in official misconduct during the George Washington Bridge lane-closure scandal. Grewal, as a Christie nominee, recused himself from the case.

Among other initiatives, Grewal has implemented a strategy of persuading recently arrested or hospitalized addicts to immediately talk to addiction recovery specialists, leading to nearly three-quarters of those people entering treatment at some point.

He also oversaw a county investigation into an internal memo by former Wyckoff Police Chief Benjamin Fox condoning the use of racial profiling as a police tool. The investigation ultimately led to Fox's suspension and demotion, and Grewal’s office implemented mandatory training programs for Wyckoff officers on topics such as cultural awareness, the prohibition on racially influenced policing and de-escalation tactics.

Joined Tuesday by his wife, Amrit, and their three daughters, Kyrpa, Mayher and Mahek, Grewal said “it was by no means an easy decision” to leave the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, where he said he leads “some of the finest public servants in this state.” The office employs about 265 people, including more than 100 detectives and dozens of prosecutors, who conduct complex criminal investigations, oversee municipal police departments and coordinate regional task forces.

Grewal also discussed his decision to leave private practice on two separate occasions, in 2004 and 2010, to pursue public service.

“I wanted to give back to a country that has given us and other immigrant families like us so much,” he said. “And in the process, I wanted to perhaps also show people that while I and others like me may look different or worship differently, that we, too, are committed to this country.”

“And second,” he continued, addressing his daughters, “as someone who has experienced hate and intolerance first-hand throughout my life, I wanted to work to ensure we all live in and that the three of you grow up in a fair and just society.”

Grewal’s confirmation as attorney general would be the second notable accomplishment for New Jersey Sikhs in recent months. Last month, Ravi Bhalla was elected mayor of Hoboken, and he will become the first Sikh to hold that office in New Jersey.

Murphy’s choice was immediately applauded by officials at nearly every level of government, including Christie and New Jersey's current attorney general.

"Gurbir's intellect and experience is what attracted me to him and what led me to fight entrenched interests to make him Bergen County prosecutor," Christie said in a statement. "His tenure, almost without exception, has been exemplary. I am confident he has the skills necessary to be an attorney general we can be proud of in New Jersey."

“Grewal is the kind of public servant who leaves his ego at the door & does the right thing for the right reasons,” Christopher Porrino, the current state attorney general, tweeted Tuesday. “He’s smart, trustworthy and tenacious; qualities which will make him an extraordinarily successful AG. Looking forward to a smooth transition.”

“He is smart. He is compassionate. He is a leader. And his ethics and integrity are above all,” state Sen. Paul Sarlo, D-Wood-Ridge, said Tuesday. “It’s a good day. I’m very excited.”

Senate Majority Leader Loretta Weinberg, D-Teaneck, called Grewal “a thoughtful, understated man who inspires confidence.”

“It’s just a great appointment,” she said.

Vin Gopal, a Monmouth County Democrat whose office said he was the first South Asian to win a state Senate race when he defeated incumbent Republican Sen. Jen Beck last month, commended Murphy for “nominating someone who is not only eminently qualified, but who will bring a perspective to the office that is diverse and long-overdue.”

U.S. Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-Wyckoff; Bergen County Executive James Tedesco III, a Democrat; state Sen. Bob Gordon, D-Fair Lawn; and state Sen. Teresa Ruiz, D-Essex, also issued statements praising the choice, as did organizations such as the South Asian Bar Association and the New Jersey Muslim Lawyers Association.

Edward Kasper, chief of police in Oakland and president of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association, called Grewal "probably the most ethical person I know.”

"It’s been a breath of fresh air in Bergen County since he’s taken over," Kasper said. "Of course we’ll miss him a little up here, but for the good of the state, I think he’s a great choice.”

A spokesman for the Murphy transition declined to discuss a possible replacement as Bergen County prosecutor.

Email: pugliese@northjersey.com