Newsom taps Calif. election chief Padilla for U.S. Senate seat

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom selected Secretary of State Alex Padilla on Tuesday as the state’s next U.S. senator, a historic pick that sends a Latino to the Senate for the first time in the state’s history.

While Mr. Padilla had been the favorite, a video released by Mr. Newsom’s office shows him getting emotional after Mr. Newsom offered him the job, reflecting on the hard work of his parents, who came to the United States from Mexico and worked as a cook and a housekeeper.

“It’s a hell of an important perspective to bring to Washington,” he told Mr. Newsom.

Mr. Padilla, 47, was appointed to fill out the remainder of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ term. She plans to step down from the seat in January ahead of Inauguration Day on Jan. 20. Mr. Padilla will need to run for a full term in 2022. The appointment gives him an advantage, but he’s still likely to face challengers; California’s top-two primary system allows two Democrats to face off in a general election.

“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,” Mr. Newsom said in a statement.

Mr. Padilla’s appointment gives a new level of representation to Latinos, who make up the state’s single largest demographic group at nearly 40% of the population. But Mr. Newsom’s choice of Mr. Padilla also means there will be no Black women in the 100member Senate. Harris, who is Black and Indian, was the only Black woman in the Senate, and Black leaders had been lobbying Mr. Newsom to appoint either Reps. Karen Bass or Barbara Lee to replace her.

“Secretary Padilla has a track record as a skilled legislator and a steadfast advocate for justice, and I believe he will be a powerful voice in the Senate for those who continue to be denied our country’s promise of equality,” Ms. Lee said in a statement.

Ms. Bass, who had been vocal about the need for the Senate to have a Black woman, said Mr. Padilla would be a “champion following a distinguished line of individuals who have shattered glass ceilings and hurdled obstacles in their way.”

About six hours after the Senate announcement, Mr. Newsom’s office said he would nominate Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, who is Black, to fill Mr. Padilla’s seat once he goes to the Senate. Ms. Weber, of San Diego, heads the California Legislative Black Caucus. The nomination is subject to approval in the Legislature.

If confirmed, she would become the first Black person to hold the office. Ms. Weber presided over the Electoral College that met in Sacramento earlier this month.

Mr. Newsom called Ms. Weber, the daughter of sharecroppers, “a tireless advocate and change agent with unimpeachable integrity.”