Newsom Selects Kamala Harris' Replacement in the Senate
California Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Tuesday as the state’s next U.S. senator to fill the seat being vacated by presumptive vice president-elect Kamala Harris.
“Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state’s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic,” Newsom said in a statement.
Padilla was widely expected to be Newsom’s pick, as the two are longtime political allies.
“I am honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by Governor Newsom, and I intend to work each and every day to honor that trust and deliver for all Californians,” Padilla said in a statement.
Padilla, 47, has been California’s top elections official since 2015. In that position, he’s overseen a vast expansion of California’s mail-in voting system.
In the November election, California mailed a ballot to every single registered voter. Prior to that, he oversaw the implementation of the Voter’s Choice Act, a 2016 law that allowed counties to mail all registered voters a ballot.
He’ll hold the Senate seat through 2022, when he will have to run for re-election.
Harris hasn’t given a date for her resignation, but she appears set to be inaugurated as vice president on Jan. 20.
He lives in Los Angeles.
The Western Journal has reviewed this Associated Press story and may have altered it prior to publication to ensure that it meets our editorial standards.
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