Lisa Jackson announced she will step down as EPA Administrator in January. Deputy Administrator Bob Perciasepe will serve as the Acting Administrator upon Jackson’s departure and is also widely speculated to be a top candidate to be nominated as her permanent replacement. In addition to his strong qualifications for the position, Perciasepe’s status as a frontrunner for the permanent post is also based on his perceived ability to pass through what is expected to be a contentious confirmation debate in Congress. Other top candidates for the Administrator position include EPA Assistant Administrator for Air and Radiation, Gina McCarthy; former head of the White House Council on Environmental Quality, Kathleen McGinty; and California Air Resources Board Chairman, Mary Nichols.