The race to replace apparent Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’s open Senate seat is underway.
Pressure is mounting on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to choose Harris’s replacement in the Senate should apparent President-elect Joe Biden’s victory be confirmed.
“No timeline has been established. The process is just beginning to unfold,” Newsom said Monday. “We are working through the cattle call of considerations related to what’s the profile, the right choice to replace Sen. Harris.”
The two leading candidates to replace Harris are Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla, both Democrats.
Sacramento-based Democratic political consultant Karen Skelton said the racial makeup of both leading candidates are an important consideration for Newsom.
“The history would not be lost on Gavin, and appointing either would be good for the state and the country as a way to increase the representation of this growing political bloc,” Skelton told the Washington Post on Tuesday. “And both are ready to hit the ground running.”
The group Democracy for America has advised Newsom to select a black woman to replace Harris, the first black female senator from California, but political action committee Latino Victory Fund has backed Padilla or Becerra in hopes of expanding the Democratic Party’s base among Hispanics.
“This is an opportunity to increase Latino representation in the U.S. Senate and to break a barrier for Latino elected officials in California,” said Nathalie Rayes, head of the Latino Victory Fund. “We need to break this barrier if we truly want a government that reflects the communities it serves.”
Biden has been crowned victor of the 2020 presidential election by most major media networks, but a final decision will not be made until at least Dec. 14. President Trump has continued to contest the legitimacy of the election.
