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 the CA 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 group 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.
In a video call where Gov. Newsom officially asked Padilla to fill the seat, Padilla became emotional when he reflected on his upbringing and said, “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.”
The appointment means that Gov. Newsom will now have to name a new Secretary of State as well.
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