Gov. Gavin Newsom has a big decision to make now that Sen. Kamala Harris is headed to the White House.
The governor will appoint Harris’ replacement in the Senate and there are plenty of factors to consider.
"Number one, he has to remember that this person needs to get reelected in a few years, has to have the ability to raise some money and has to have the policy chops to hit the ground running in Washington," said Democratic Strategist Steve Maviglio. "I think he wants somebody that’s going to be a solid partner for him, that’ll help with his priorities to help him get elected and better serve the state."
Names are already being bandied about, including Secretary of State Alex Padilla, state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, and State Controller Betty Yee.
Democratic Strategist Steve Maviglio said Gov. Newsom has an opportunity to make history with this pick, especially considering that Harris is only one of four women of color in the Senate. The lobbying by Latino, LGBTQ and other groups in support of various choices is well underway.
"You have a lot of these different constituencies lining up saying, 'You know what, it’s our turn.' And so that puts a lot of pressure on the governor to satisfy activist Democrats and different constituencies within the Democratic party.”
Gov. Newsom can make the appointment now or wait until January.
"What’s better for the state is that he makes his choice pretty quickly," said Maviglio. "So that person can hit the ground running in the United States Senate. I mean, there’s a big learning curve to that job."
There have also been some calls recently for Sen. Dianne Feinstein to step down, which could mean that whoever Gov. Newsom appoints would see their influence grow quickly.
Other names that have emerged as possibilities include Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland and Reps. Karen Bass and Adam Schiff of Los Angeles.
Given that this is a plumb appointment, the governor is likely to make a friend for life with his pick and perhaps a few enemies.