] Leading candidates to succeed Mr. Ashcroft include
] Alberto R. Gonzales, the White House counsel, and Marc
] Racicot, the chairman of Mr. Bush's re-election campaign.
] Larry D. Thompson, who served as deputy attorney general
] until last year and is now the general counsel of Pepsico
] in Purchase, N.Y., is a personal favorite of the
] president but is said not to be interested in the job, a
] Republican close to the White House said.

] Former Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani of New York City was
] mentioned by some as a possible successor, but his
] spokeswoman, Sunny Mindel, said Tuesday night that
] he was not interested in the job.