With 2 open seats, Newsom may reshape politics

SACRAMENTO >> Joe Biden’s White House win has made Gov. Gavin Newsom a California kingmaker.

When the Democrat president- elect plucked a second California official for an administration post, he handed Newsom another opportunity to put his stamp on a generation of leadership in the nation’s biggest Democratic state. Now, Newsom is in position to appoint California’s next U. S. senator and attorney general, and maybe even more top posts depending on who gets each job.

“It’s certainly an opportunity for Gov. Newsom to leave a lasting mark on a couple of very influential offices,” said Brian Brokaw, a Democratic strategist and Newsom adviser. But, he added, “you have a chance to make two friends and you have a chance to disappoint who you don’t ultimately select.”

The day Biden chose Sen. Kamala Harris as his running mate, the phones of Newsom and his allies began ringing with people who wanted her job, and the pressure has only ramped up since. Biden added more intrigue Monday when he tapped California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as his health secretary, giving Newsom the power to choose the head of the largest state department of justice.

Newsom will appoint successors through 2022, when both terms end. Secretary of State Alex Padilla, who would be California’s first Latino senator, is among the top contenders, potentially leaving Newsom the chance to choose the state’s next top elections official as well. Few California governors have held such concentrated power.

In filling each post, Newsom will likely look for someone who represents California’s diversity, shares his governing philosophy and can win reelection in 2022, the same year Newsom will be up for a new term.