As soon as we knew that the Biden-Harris ticket won, some of us were already thinking about who would be appointed to fill Kamala Harris’s Senate seat. Harris is the junior senator from the biggest state in America, California, and she’s the first Black-Indian woman to serve in the Senate. She’s such a groundbreaker, and I knew the pressure would be on California’s Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a woman, especially a woman of color, to Kamala’s seat. The way it works is that the governor appoints someone to fill the Senate seat for the length of time left (Kamala would have been up for re-election in 2022) and then there’s an open election. Anyone can challenge the appointee senator in the primary and general election. Well, Gov. Newsom has indicated that he wants to appoint Alex Padilla, a Latino man and CA’s Secretary of State. Now people are yelling about it and trying to force Gov. Newsom to appoint a woman (specifically a woman of color).
As speculation grows that Gov. Gavin Newsom is leaning toward California elections chief Alex Padilla to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris, a crowd of top Democratic donors and former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown are launching an aggressive campaign to argue that another woman of color should fill that seat instead.
Brown, the former longtime speaker of the California Assembly, said he’s launching a drive Monday to organize Black churches, pastors, civic leaders, fraternal organizations and prominent members of the Black press statewide to urge Newsom to consider leading Black women for the seat. Among the leading choices, he said, are Reps. Barbara Lee, Karen Bass and Maxine Waters; San Francisco Mayor London Breed; and state Sen. Holly Mitchell.
“There’s no way that Gavin Newsom should allow anyone other than a Black woman to fill the seat of Harris, who’s only the second Black woman in the history of the U.S. Senate,” Brown told POLITICO on Sunday. “There should be no contest.”
Brown’s campaign comes as some 150 of the state’s top female Democratic donors on Monday will publish full-page newspaper ads with an open letter urging Newsom to pick a woman of color, Vox reported Sunday. Other leading advocacy groups like SheThePeople, which promotes women in politics, have called on Newsom to name a woman of color to the seat. The group’s founder, Aimee Allison, said Lee’s long-running advocacy for the Black community and progressive causes should make her the natural choice for the plum U.S. Senate seat.
Ramped-up calls for a woman of color come as sources believe Newsom is leaning heavily toward picking California Secretary of State Alex Padilla. He would be the first Latino U.S. Senator in the state’s 170-year history. Picking a statewide officeholder like Padilla would give Newsom two appointments since he also could choose their replacement.
I don’t envy Gov. Newsom and the pressure he’s facing from all of these groups must be enormous. On one hand, it’s well beyond time that California – home to millions of Latin-American people – should have their first Latino senator, and I can completely understand how that kind of appointment would pay dividends for the California Democratic Party for decades. On the other hand, Kamala Harris was such an important, groundbreaking and badass senator and I would very much like to see her replaced with another woman, especially a Black woman. Like, it’s kind of offensive to me that a man (any man) would be appointed to replace Kamala Harris. So…yeah, Gov. Newsom isn’t going to make anybody happy. Also: when this kind of thing happens, usually the governor consults heavily with the outgoing senator about who should replace them in the Senate seat. I wonder who Kamala Harris wants to replace her?
Last thing: I’ve joked a few times about how Gov. Newsom would appoint the Duchess of Sussex to the Senate seat. He’s not going to but damn, that would be so much fun and it would make so many people mad.
Photos courtesy of Avalon Red, Backgrid.
This seems particularly tone-deaf. This guy has done some stuff lately…his stock sunk in my portfolio. I would like to put in a sell order.
Screw that. Newsom has to give it to Barbara Lee. She’s a progressive powerhouse in Congress and would bring that energy to the Senate, where it is desperately needed. She is the opposite type of Democrat from Dianne Feinstein (the other CA Senator). When I was in college we made calls for her original Congressional run, and it was so exciting to see a progressive woman of color win. Go Barbara Lee!
Barbara Lee was the only congressperson smart enough to vote against the blanket authorization of military force against broadly defined “terrorists” after 9/11 because she wisely saw it was giving to much power to the military. I’ve admired her for decades for that; it was courageous and prescient. I really hope she is appointed.
As a Californian, the problem with the congressional African American woman is age. Bass is in her 60s, Lee in her 70s and Waters in her 80s. Need someone who was younger like Kamala who can hold the seat and get stuff done.
@JC yep you hit the nail on the head. Dianne Feinstein is stepping down as the senior judiciary lead next year (she’s pretty high up there in age too). They need someone younger to fill that seat for longevity.
However, if I had a choice, it would be Maxine or Karen. I’ve personally met Barbara Lee. Based on our meeting, I don’t care for her as a person – that’s all I have to say about that.
It’s becoming clearer and clearer why Newsom was married to Kim Guilfoyle.
Yup. Poor judgement and cocaine.
I only just realized the current Mrs Newsom is also a republican. 🧐
I have been thinking the same thing for months now…..”Ah, now I see how he was married to Kim Guilfoyle”.
Once you’ve seen that photo of the 2 of them posing on the floor back when they were still married, there’s no amount of good deeds Gavin Newsom can do to unsee it!
There was some talk of Katie Porter also, who I think is awesome, but I feel the replacement should be a Black woman.
I hope VP Kamala Harris can weigh in, as it’s her seat.
Can’t be Porter. She won in a deep red county in California and we need her seat to keep the majority in the House.
That seat flipped because of Rep. Porter, not in spite of her.
Just wanted to say Katie Porter is my GAL!!!! She is everything that a good representative of the people should be! In our embarrassingly red county she gave the hideous Republican candidate a severe thrashing, and I was there for it. With her trusty whiteboard she always tells truth to power and is so good at explaining real, effective, and fair policy.
Governor Gav has fallen a little in my esteem of late, but he did do a sterling job of looking after Californians in the early stages of the pandemic, at times he looked absolutely exhausted with it all, but kept on in spite of the misinformation from Pence and his cronies. I hope he appoints a qualified badass who will fill Kamala’s admittedly almost impossible to do, shoes. At last we have HOPE!
In addition to needing to appoint some young enough to serve for many terms, the challenge of appointing someone who is serving in the HoR is that we can’t afford to lose folks who’ve already shown they can win those districts — 2022 is going to be a Battle Royale and we need EVERY SEAT and to pick up more. And traditionally the party in the Oval Office doesn’t do well in off-season elections. And then, as has been pointing out, having a Latino/a in Senate from Calif is overdue and helps bring excitement and reminds groups that have been sliding to R,
He was never gonna please everyone with this
He could have come pretty close by picking a Latino woman.
I heard former LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa amd current AG Becerra were in consideration. I get the desire for it to be a WOC, but to be honest, there are so many great choices. Anyone will be a great pick.
Plenty of talent in California to choose from.
Beccera would be a good choice over Padilla.
Is the appointee somebody with a good record? Do they want to work toward progressive goals that will ultimately help women and minorities across the board overall? Because I’m going to be incredibly frank that what they want to do with the seat is far more important to me than what their identity is. My very bluntly pragmatic feeling here is that Latinos are a massive voting bloc, and he’s likely viewing it as strategic to put somebody in who will appeal to that demographic and understand its complexity going forward. It’s a shame to lose that historic seat, but if he’s going to be a good senator for the country as a whole, I think it’s worth swallowing the loss and working on replacing seats in 2022.
Agreed! Can’t believe that California has never had a Latino senator, so I have no problem with Newsom appointing one.
I wish society would recognize how intersectionality makes things so much tougher for women. Yes, it’s tough to be Latino, Black, Asian, etc., man but it is doubly difficult to be Latino, Black, Asian, etc. woman. And you shouldn’t be able to replace a Black/Asian woman with a Latino man and think you’re doing much for equity.
+1
100% agree
This x 1000000 Plus, we can’t forget that there is great “diversity” in voting specific to the Latino male demographic. Just putting in a Latino face does not mean that one is getting a progressive, for-the-people individual; it could be someone who voted for 45 as a significant percentage did.
“I wish society would recognize how intersectionality makes things so much tougher for women. Yes, it’s tough to be Latino, Black, Asian, etc., man but it is doubly difficult to be Latino, Black, Asian, etc. woman.” Absolutely. It comes with being expected to put up with things our men and boys often aren’t by somewhat well-meaning people, and the bar is higher. People struggle to remember us as more than extensions of our men and their experiences, and sometimes we do that to other woc. It’s something to work on as we celebrate progress.
It should be a Latina. That state has an enormous Latino population which is underrepresented in the state and US Senate.
If not, I’d like to see an Asian woman get the pick as both of those are true for that Demographic as well
Maybe Newsom will split the baby, and have it be a Mexican woman! It would be amazing to have California have their first Latino senator, but I do think that until women have equal footing in politics, we should strive for women replacing women. And I would love to see a Mexican at the forefront considering the racism pelted against immigration during this admin, even from other Latino communities. And if he ends up choosing one of the amazing black, female candidates, I hope the next voting block gives hope to Latinos and gets them moving up the political ladder!
Yes! Any woman of color at this point. An Asian or Latina woman would be groundbreaking as well.
Kamala should have to agree with whoever he chooses. The brilliant Barbara Lee is the obvious choice IMO.
I don’t agree that it is brilliant. The state is heavily Latino and Biden and Dems have a huge problem with that Demographic. I think Newsom would be smart to appoint a Latina as it is more representative of the state and will help him when he runs for president
As long as,it’s not another old white man I’m good.Alex Padilla is a historic choice in itself,so I’m happy.
This decision could not be left with anyone worse. Newsom has been so inconsiderate and tone deaf lately. Rules are for thee, not me. Half of his state, if not more, despises him.
Not sure Lee and Waters would want to give up their seniority in the House.
Good chance Feinstein won’t run again.
Aside from the French Laundry fiasco (which he quickly owned and apologized for), I think GovGav has been doing a great job w covid, fires, Trump.
PS for gossip. Kamala and Willie Briwn dated for awhile.
I hope he chooses a Latina woman. That’’d be great.
How about an Afro-Latina?
Oh my gah! That would be awesome (fellow Afro-Latina here).
As a Californian, I also want to chime in that Dianne Feinstein needs to retire. I know she announced yesterday that she’s stepping down from her role on the Senate Judiciary Committee-but she needs to go completely. Newsom needs to be able to appoint younger, female POC for both spots.
I don’t think Feinstein is going to resign mid term unless it is something big. They have a chance for Senate majority come January 5th and well need all those votes to get at least HEROES and John Lewis Act’s passed.
Wasn’t she also part of the senate stock sell-off after getting briefed on Covid. She needs to go.
Yes, she was. She should have retired when Boxer did.
There really needs to be term limits to the Senate & House. McConnell would have been forced to retire by now if there were.
How about this: Dianne Feinstein can go ahead and retire in shame after her most recent performance in the judiciary committee and he can make TWO historic picks!
He’s my governor and I am sad to say I don’t trust him. he seems like a power-hungry Republican in Dem clothing. I hope to be convinced otherwise.
This is so interesting. My husband says the same and that he’s using it as his advantage to further his political career and run for presidency. I can’t stand him either way.
Currently, where I live our mayor, representative, and both Senators are women, which I love saying. If the VP elect is replaced with a man that will no longer be true. On some level I do hope Harris’s replacement is a woman but I’m more concerned about them being much more progressive than Feinstein, who for some reason is still in the Senate. With all the qualified candidates, would be nice to see one considered for that Senate seat
For non Californians, Alex Padilla ran against Feinstein in 16, so it’s kind of his turn. His resume is pretty good, and is currently our Secretary of State. In short, he’s no dummy. My only objection is that he down with the Charter movement here, so I’m skeptical about what committees assignments he’s going to chase. If he’s on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, I will be watching him when it comes to Education Regulations and legislation. We have a pretty deep Democratic bench here. I want to see what London Breed (Mayor of San Fransisco – Black Woman) does next. We have a Lt Governor in Eleni Kounalakis (former Ambassador under Obama, and Greek American). Nancy and Christine Pelosi are quite instrumental in expanding female representation in public office. We’ll see who Alex Padilla runs against in 22.
Can we just give him Feinstein’s seat? What actual business does she have still being in office?
I took a peek at who Alex Padilla is, and I am happy that he is actually of Mexican humble origins (his mom cleaned houses).
Mexicans, as well as people from Central America, usually have it bad as immigrants, being that many have to work in the farms and doing hard, Manual jobs. Every success story is to be celebrated.
I hope that gain votes by whatever decision they take.
Not diminishing what other ethnicities go through, but some other Latin immigrants (generalizing) have had better economical or higher education of parents to back them up, even having parents who speak the language is already an advantage.
He seems worthy. A woman should be better, but choosing anyone is like playing chess and making bets at the same time.
He should pick a woman. We’ve had fewer than 350 women in Congress out of over 12,300 total positions.
Something not being mentioned in this thread: Newsom has been sidestepping the Monterrosa sisters that are bringing lots of attention to the death of their brother Sean Monterrosa this summer. It occurred in what is known to be a very corrupt CA county. They have been tirelessly trying to get his attention by performing activisim in CA and all around the country. In fact, he had them arrested for protesting outside his residence. Newsom still hasn’t met with them and has continues to spin his clear avoidance of the issue. This headline could contribute to his attempt to distract and try to silence that Sean Monterrosa activism that is reaching more and more Latinos daily.
Newsome can pick whoever he wants and Padilla is not a bad pick. Wish he could replace Feinstein.
People in the US have a really odd misconception of what Latino is and get really mad when a mainland latino points out:
Latino is not a race.
Latino/Latin American/Latin or Latine as the gender-neutral alternative (look for why latines are not using “latinx” pls, ppl use it automatically ’cause they think it’s woke but it ain’t and it’s so bad) is an ethnicity. There are black latinos, asian latinas, mixed-raced latines (most of latin america is pardos tbh, that is a mixed between white, indigenous and black) and there are of course 100% white latin americans.
Replacing an woc with a white latino is not progress. A white latino is still a white man.
If they want to replace they should go for an afro-latina or an asian-latina.