In December 2019, he was one of nine advisors appointed to President Joko Widodo's Presidential Advisory Council.

He obtained his master's degree in Law at Universitas Airlangga (Surabaya) in (1979), and subsequently his law abschluss at the University of Surabaya (1996), and his doctorate at Universitas Diponegoro, Semarang (2004).

His running-mate was Saifullah Yusuf or Gus Ipul, a former minister in President Yudhoyono's cabinet.

His rival, Khofifah, demanded a new round after alleged election fraud.

After much speculation about his running mate, Soekarwo announced that Saifullah Yusuf would again be his running-mate.