California Gov. Gavin Newsom said Monday he’d appoint a Black woman to replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate if she were to retire.
"We have multiple names in mind and the answer is yes," the governor told MSNBC’s Joy Reid.
There are currently no African American women in the Senate.
Whether he’ll be in office to keep that promise remains to be seen.
The interview comes as the Democrat stages an all-out campaign against a growing recall effort. Earlier Monday, state Black leaders joined together virtually to throw their support behind Gov. Newsom. Leaders of the recall effort claim to have more than the 1.5 million signatures needed to trigger an election, however, the necessary amount have not been verified by the state.
When given the opportunity to appoint Vice President Kamala Harris’ replacement to the U.S. Senate, the governor opted for Alex Padilla, California’s first-ever Latino representative in the body. At the time, many were upset Gov. Newsom did not choose a Black woman to fill the vacancy.
As for Sen. Feinstein, her plans beyond 2024 aren’t yet known.
The state’s senior senator hasn’t yet officially announced whether she’ll run for reelection but did file paperwork with the Federal Election Commission for another run. Some in her own party have called the 87-year-old’s mental fitness into question, a claim she refuted.
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