Who Gavin Newsom might pick for a U.S. Senate seat if Kamala Harris becomes vice president
As soon as presidential candidate Joe Biden named California Sen. Kamala Harris his running mate Tuesday, speculation began to swirl about who Gov. Gavin Newsom would pick to replace her in the U.S. Senate should she become vice president.
Newsom was quick to say he won’t make it a priority.
“It’s the furthest thing from the governor’s mind, and he won’t even entertain the question until after the November election,” said Nathan Click, communications director for Newsom. “The governor is squarely focused on leading the state’s response to COVID-19 and helping Californians during this global pandemic.”
If and when the time comes, here’s a look at some of the many California Democrats the Democratic governor might consider to fill out the term, which expires in 2023:
Toni Atkins
The first woman and openly LGBTQ person to lead the state Senate, Senate President Pro Tem Toni Atkins has had to work closely with Newsom on the state budget and legislative negotiations.
“Newsom loves Atkins,” Democratic strategist Steve Maviglio said. “From what I hear, she and Newsom have really bonded since he’s gotten to Sacramento... He likes to make history, so the LGBTQ factor is good. I think there is pressure to name another woman.”
Karen Bass
Once considered a contender to be Biden’s running mate, U.S. Rep. Karen Bass has a long history in California politics, beginning with activism in Los Angeles and including a stint as speaker of the state Assembly. She currently leads the Congressional Black Caucus.
Prominent California labor activist Dolores Huerta had endorsed Bass to be Biden’s running mate, and told labor-focused publication Payday Report that Bass has been a very successful activist.
“She’s a builder,” Huerta said. “Karen has never been a self-promoter, so probably a lot of people don’t know who she is, but people in my world, the activist world, we know who Karen Bass is.”
Xavier Becerra
Xavier Becerra replaced Kamala Harris once before when she was elected to the Senate and then-Gov. Jerry Brown picked him to fill the office she left as California’s attorney general. He had previously represented Los Angeles in the U.S. House.
Mike Madrid, co-founder of the Lincoln Project and a Latino voting trends expert, said it would be a grave mistake for Newsom not to pick a person of color and, specifically, someone of Hispanic descent.
“It would be a huge political mistake, it would be inconceivable, in California as the Democratic party that represents Latinos,” Madrid said. “It would be a striking omission of Latino representation.”
Madrid said he thinks Becerra or fellow statewide officeholder Alex Padilla could be first in line for the job. He pointed to Becerra’s experience as a “deep insider” in Congress as a good qualification.
Lorena Gonzalez
Democratic strategist Hilary McLean pointed to Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez as a potential choice. As a Latina, Gonzalez would bring more diversity to the Senate floor, McLean said of the longtime labor advocate who has risen to prominence in California for her championing of the employee classification law AB 5.
“She never backs down from a fight,” McLean said. “She would bring the perspective of a mother to the Senate, which I think is really needed.”
Barbara Lee
U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee represents another potential candidate from California’s congressional delegation who was also seen as a possible vice presidential pick.
Democratic National Committee delegates backing Sen. Bernie Sanders wrote to Biden asking that he consider Lee to be his running mate, the San Francisco Chronicle reported. Lee previously served as chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus.
Kevin de León
Former Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León unsuccessfully challenged Dianne Feinstein for her Senate seat in 2018. De León was recently elected to the Los Angeles City Council, and is scheduled to take office in October, the Los Angeles Times reported.
Democratic campaign consultant Garry South said de León could be a contender, particularly because he is Latino, but noted that his loss to Feinstein would hurt his chances. It’s critical Newsom consider a candidate that could win reelection in 2022, when Harris’ term is up, South said.
“A governor wants to make sure that whoever he appoints to that seat can run for a win the election in their own right,” South said.
Alex Padilla
Alex Padilla has been California’s secretary of state since 2015. The son of Mexican immigrants, Padilla grew up in Los Angeles and previously served on the Los Angeles City Council and in the California State Senate.
Madrid noted that Padilla and Newsom share the same political consulting firm.
“He was one of the early and, if not highest profile, endorsers of Newsom,” Madrid said, referring to Padilla’s endorsement of Newsom’s run for governor. “When he endorsed Gavin, that showed Gavin had significant Latino establishment endorsement.”
Katie Porter
U.S. Rep Katie Porter is another member of Congress who could be considered. She has gained national attention for her persistent questioning of Trump administration officials during committee hearings.
The former law professor has become one of the House’s most successful fundraisers after flipping the Orange County seat formerly held by Republican Mimi Walters.
Betty Yee
California Controller Betty Yee was elected to her position in 2014, after serving on the California Board of Equalization. She previously helped develop the state budget in the California Department of Finance.
“The depth of her knowledge about issues important to California is incredible,” McLean said, adding that she would bring “much-needed diversity” to the Senate.
Robert Garcia
Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia may also be on Newsom’s radar. Many California political experts agree Newsom will likely consider Latino and LGBTQ candidates for the seat. Garcia is both, and was recently announced as a speaker at the Democratic National Convention, Politico reported. He was among the first Latinos to endorse Newsom for governor and had also endorsed Harris for president.
Garcia has also been deeply affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has killed both his mother and stepfather.
This story was originally published August 11, 2020 at 3:11 PM with the headline "Who Gavin Newsom might pick for a U.S. Senate seat if Kamala Harris becomes vice president."
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story inaccurately identified Karen Bass as the first female speaker of the Assembly. She was not the first woman to hold that position.