Nominee for top intel post faces lawmakers eager to see him replace the current leader

Key Points:

• Jay Clayton, President Trump's nominee for director of national intelligence, is expected to receive bipartisan support at his confirmation hearing, seen as a safer replacement for the current acting chief, Bill Pulte.
• Democrats are concerned about potential misuse of intelligence agencies to interfere with state-run midterm elections, and Clayton is likely to be questioned on his views about election integrity and providing unbiased intelligence assessments to Trump.
• Clayton, a former U.S. attorney with limited direct intelligence experience, has criticized mail-in voting, echoing Trump's unsubstantiated claims of election fraud despite lack of evidence.
• Republican lawmakers hope Clayton's confirmation will help resolve a congressional deadlock over extending electronic surveillance authority, which Democrats have linked to replacing Pulte as intelligence chief.
• Clayton's nomination was briefly delayed by Trump, who requested a hold on the hearing until a successor for Clayton's current role was confirmed; senior Democrats have praised Clayton as a capable and conventional choice.