Geoffrey Starks, assistant chief of the Federal Communications Commission’s Enforcement Bureau, emerged as the top contender to succeed commissioner Mignon Clyburn (pictured) when her tenure is up in early 2019.

Though at least three other candidates were rumoured to be in the running, Politico Pro reported three members of congress recommended Starks and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer could soon put forward an official nomination.

While the President has final say over FCC nominees, the White House typically accepts the minority party’s choice for two of the commission’s five seats.

Clyburn is one of two Democrats currently serving at the Republican-dominated FCC. She was first appointed to the commission in 2009 and served two terms. Her second term expired in June, but federal rules allow Clyburn to remain at the FCC until the current session of congress ends in January 2019. Clyburn told Street Roots News in January she intends to continue serving unless a replacement is named.

During her tenure, Clyburn staked out a pro-consumer position, pushing for increased accessibility for the disabled, closing the digital divide and fighting for net neutrality protections.

Starks’ positions, however, are more difficult to assess given his low public profile. On LinkedIn he describes how he investigated violations of federal communications law, negotiated settlements and enforcement actions and advised the commission on “evidentiary issues, charging decisions, and litigation risk associated with net neutrality, fraud and privacy matters” as part of his current role.

Before joining the FCC in 2015, Starks spent nearly three years at the Department of Justice working on privacy, data protection and cybersecurity matters, along with helping draft the agency’s social media policy.