WASHINGTON (AP) — Former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti appeared headed for affirmation Wednesday as the following U.S. ambassador to India, 20 months after he was initially chosen for the put up and amid fallout from a sexual harassment scandal involving a onetime prime adviser.

The nomination cleared a key take a look at vote within the Democratic-controlled Senate, 52-42. The vote unfolded with some suspense, because it wasn’t clear the progressive Democrat would have sufficient help to advance. But he was capable of win over a handful of Republican senators, placing him excessive. A remaining vote was scheduled for later within the day.

The nomination for the distinguished diplomatic put up has languished within the Senate for 20 months, after President Joe Biden first named him in July 2021.

The emptiness within the ambassadorship has left a major diplomatic hole for the administration at a time of rising international tensions, together with China’s more and more assertive presence within the Pacific area and Russia’s warfare with Ukraine.

The nomination has been freighted with questions on what the previous mayor knew, and when, about sexual harassment allegations in opposition to his good friend and once-close adviser, Rick Jacobs. A lawsuit alleges that Jacobs incessantly harassed one of many then-mayor’s police bodyguards whereas Garcetti ignored the abuse or laughed it off.

Garcetti has repeatedly denied the claims.

Wednesday’s vote examined Democratic loyalty to Biden, and in addition measured assessments of Garcetti’s judgment and trustworthiness, stemming from the City Hall allegations.

“I think we can find somebody that will do the job better,” stated Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio.

Garcetti additionally did not win over Democrat Mark Kelly of Arizona, who stated he had “serious concerns.”

But Republicans stepped in to fill the hole within the take a look at vote, all however assuring his affirmation.

Republican Sen. Susan Collins of Maine stated, “I met with him personally. He clearly has an enormous amount of expertise about India. India’s been two years without an ambassador, and that is far too long. And I am going to support him.”

Sen. Todd Young, R-Ind., who backed Garcetti in a committee vote, stated that he, too, can be voting in favor.

“It’s a national security imperative to immediately have an ambassador in place in India. We can’t afford to wait any longer,” Young stated.

Rachel Rizzo, a nonresident senior fellow on the Atlantic Council, stated she sensed frustration concerning the lack of an envoy throughout a current journey to India. She stated it “gives an impression that the relationship isn’t important.”

“It really points to the internal dysfunction in the U.S. Congress at the moment, and it makes it very hard for us to send the messages that we’re trying to send when it looks to our diplomatic partners that we don’t have our house in order,” she stated.

“I think that’s been an issue for the last couple of years.”

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Associated Press writers Seung Min Kim, Lisa Mascaro, Farnoush Amiri, Kevin Freking and Stephen Groves contributed.