Alex Padilla will be California's next U.S. Senator, filling the vacancy left by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris.
Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Tuesday morning that he has selected Padilla, who currently serves as his Secretary of State, to fill the seat. Padilla is the son of Mexican immigrants and will be the first Latino to represent California in the Senate, giving a new level of representation to a demographic that makes up nearly 40% of the state's population.
He was largely seen as the frontrunner after picking up endorsements from Latino progressive groups and U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein, and has had a close working relationship with Gov. Newsom.
Padilla has overseen the state's elections apparatus since 2015, a period in which California vastly increased its vote-by-mail system. He got his start in politics when he was elected to the Los Angeles City Council in 1999 at just 26.
He served two terms in the State Senate before becoming Secretary of State.
In a video call where Gov. Newsom officially asked Padilla to fill the seat, Padilla became emotional when he reflected on his upbringing and how his late mother would feel seeing her son in the Senate.
"Please know I will make you proud and make California proud by getting it done in the U.S. Senate. We’ve got a lot of work to do and I’m ready, I’m ready," Padilla said to Newsom.
Padilla said some of his first priorities when he takes office will be to "protect healthcare, make sure every Californian has access to a vaccine, to get our economy back on track and our people back to work." Padilla has already created a campaign committee with plans to run for a full term in 2022.
The appointment has received praise from leaders around the state and the country. California's senior Senator Dianne Feinstein called Padilla an "excellent choice" and says she looks forward to working with him.
"Crucially, Alex is someone who understands the many challenges that Californians are facing, and I believe he is very well-suited to fight for them for years to come. I also believe Alex brings a critically important voice to the Senate as the first Latino senator from California," she said.
Rep. Barbara Lee, who was seen as another top candidate for the post, congratulated Padilla and said he would be a "powerful voice" for the oppressed.
Harris herself said Padilla will "continue fighting for our state as California’s first Latino senator," calling him her "dear friend."
But there was some disappointment as well that Harris, one of only four women of color in the Senate and the only black woman, would not be replaced by another. San Francisco's Mayor London Breed called the pick "unfortunate" and "a real blow to the African American community, to African American women, to women in general."
The appointment means the governor will now have to name a new Secretary of State as well, in addition to filling the Attorney General vacancy left by Xavier Becerra, who is leaving to run the Department of Health and Human Services in the Biden administration.
Gov. Newsom on Tuesday afternoon announced that he has nominated State Assemblymember Dr. Shirley Weber to take Padilla's place as Secretary of State.
The governor said on Twitter that Dr. Weber is a "fearless advocate with unimpeachable integrity and moral clarity - there’s no one better suited for the job."
Dr. Weber chaired the 2020 Electoral College proceedings and has represented San Diego in the State Assembly since 2012.
According to a statement from the Governor's office, Dr. Weber has also "been a champion for civil rights and police reform, authoring a landmark law setting new, higher standards on the use of deadly force by police."
Related
