Senator Charles E. Schumer has recommended that the White House select his chief counsel, Preet Bharara, as the next United States attorney in Manhattan, the senator’s office said on Wednesday.

Although Mr. Schumer’s backing does not guarantee that Mr. Bharara will get the post, it makes him the clear front-runner.

Presidents traditionally consult with their party’s senior political leaders in a state, in this case Mr. Schumer, before filling a United States attorney post in that state.

The job is considered perhaps the most prestigious federal prosecutor’s post outside Washington, with a traditional focus on securities fraud and white-collar crime, public corruption and terrorism.