Gov. Gavin Newsom’s Senate Seat Pick

With current California Senator Kamala Harris scheduled to be inaugurated into the vice presidency on January 20th, 2021, Governor Gavin Newsom is obligated to select a person to fill her vacant Senate seat. 

When choosing California’s next senator, identity politics are expected to have a major influence on Newsom’s decision. Many were quick to note that California has never been represented by a Latine senator, despite Latines comprising a large percentage of the state’s population. In alignment with this interest, Alex Padilla, California’s current Secretary of State, has emerged as a top contender for the position. If Padilla was appointed, he would be the state’s first Latine senator, and his vacant seat would allow Newsom to appoint a new Secretary of State. Senator Dianne Feinstein, California’s current senator, has already thrown her support behind Padilla. Another contender for the position was Xavier Becerra, however, he was recently nominated to President-elect Joe Biden’s cabinet to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. This has also opened discussions as to who Newsom will appoint to replace Becerra as California’s Attorney General. 

The discussion surrounding the racial identity of the governor’s appointee has continued, as Newsom has also received pressure to appoint another Black woman to replace Harris’s vacant seat, for without Harris, once again, Black women would not be represented in the Senate. Harris was the first Black person to be a U.S. Senator for California. 

At the moment, two Black congresswomen are pursuing the seat, one of which being Congresswoman Barabara Lee. Lee currently represents California’s 13th congressional district which encompasses the East Bay, mainly being Oakland, Berkeley, and Alameda. Another contender for the position is Congresswoman Karen Bass who represents California’s 37th congressional district, located in Los Angeles. 

As the days nearing Harris’s confirmation are narrowing, the list of possibilities continues to shorten, but other contenders for the position (with varying amounts of support), include SF Mayor London Breed, Oakland Mayor and School alumna Libby Schaaf, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Congresswoman Katie Porter, Congresswoman Ro Khanna, and Senate Pro Temp Toni Atkins. 

Many are also widely recommending that Newsom consider appointing someone who will not seek re-election in 2022 when Harris’s term would have expired. With a state as populous, large, and diverse as California, there is expected to be an extremely competitive bid to become the state’s Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate. Appointing someone who would not seek re-election to serve out the remaining two years of the term would fill the necessary requirement and allow the Democratic process to continue without the inclusion of an appointee in 2022.  

While the debate and discussions remain ongoing, Newsom has already committed to selecting a person that is representative of California’s diversity. With January 20th nearing, it is only a matter of time until Newsom announces his decision.