An ally and trailblazer
It was tearyeyed and emotion soaked. Gov. Gavin Newsom made his longawaited U. S. Senate choice by popping the question to Alex Padilla in a video. A seemingly stunned Padilla rubbed his face, choked back his feelings and said “absolutely, absolutely” he’d take the job.
So ended the drama and political guessing game over Newsom’s choice to fill the seat of Vice Presidentelect Kamala Harris. The pick makes history. Padilla, the state’s top election official and secretary of state, will be the first Latino to represent California in the Senate.
The significance and the sensitivity of the selection was apparent in the instantly strong reactions to Newsom’s move. Padilla may be widely respected in California politics, but the governor had been under intense pressure to fill the Harris seat with another woman of color. San Francisco Mayor London Breed called the Padilla appointment “a real blow to the African American community, African American women, to women in general.”
Within hours, the governor’s office announced the appointment of Assemblymember Shirley Weber, DSan Diego, to succeed Padilla as secretary of state. Newsom’s statement emphasized the African American daughter of a sharecropper’s history of advocacy for voting rights that were denied to her ancestors.
The selection of Weber to a statewide
office is not likely to quell all the controversy — secretary of state does not approach a U. S. Senate seat in stature or consequence — but it does make history in itself.
“Being the first African American woman in this position will be a monumental responsibility, but I know I am up for the challenge,” said Weber, a former chair and current member of the Elections and Redistricting Committee who had authored legislation to extend voting rights to people on parole.
Each of Newsom’s choices comes with an inspiring life story. Padilla’s parents — his dad, a shortorder cook, and his mother, a house cleaner — both came from Mexico. Eventually their son graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, entered politics and won a string of elections to the Los Angeles City Council, state Senate and most recently secretary of state.
There’s a comfort level in the pick. As a rising politico, Newsom was introduced to Southern California leaders through Padilla, who become a yearslong ally.
As secretary of state, Padilla oversaw record registration and voter turnout. He’s pushed for easier access to the ballot and voting rules that allowed 16and 17yearolds to sign up before reaching the age of 18 to cast ballots. The familiarity with election law he brings to the Senate couldn’t be more timely and as the Trump team flails away in trying to overturn the November vote.
Padilla set a cautious and moderate course in the state Legislature. He pushed environmental and public health causes such as a ban on plastic bags and indoor smoking. He also worked on Californiacentric issues such as rules for driverless cars and earthquake warning systems.
The fierce lobbying and anticipation of Newsom’s Senate choice only underscored the lack of diversity in what is often called the world’s greatest deliberative body. Harris’ departure leaves the 100member Senate without a Black woman. Advocates of a Latino or African
American appointee were not alone: Some Asian American groups noted their underrepresentation.
Next up will be his decision on a successor to state Attorney General Xavier Becerra, bound for a Biden administration Cabinet post as Secretary of Health and Human Services.
Newsom sometimes bemoaned that he was in a nowin situation that was none of his doing, with an array of wellqualified candidates from demographic groups that deserved a voice at the highest level of American decisionmaking.
No one ever said being governor of a state this large and loaded with political talent and ambition would be easy.