World News – USA – Alex Padilla to replace Kamala Harris in Senate

Gov. . Gavin Newsom of California chose Mr.. . Padilla has served Ms for the last two years. Harris’ tenure. Mr. Padilla will be the first Latino senator to represent the state.

SACRAMENTO, California. – Alex Padilla, California’s Secretary of State, has been appointed to the Senate seat of elected Vice President Kamala Harris, Gov. . Gavin Newsom announced on Tuesday that it would end months of intense political jockeys between democratic factions in the state.

The son of Mexican-born immigrants who settled in the San Fernando Valley of Los Angeles, Mr.. . Padilla, 47, will be the first Latino senator from California, where Latinos make up about 40 percent of the population.

« I am honored and humbled by the trust that Governor Newsom has placed in me, and I intend to work every day to honor and deliver that trust for all Californians, » said Mr.. . Padilla in a statement.

« From those struggling to make ends meet, to the small businesses struggling to keep their doors open for the healthcare workers looking for relief, please know that I’m going to Go to the Senate to fight for you. We will overcome this pandemic together and rebuild our economies so that working families are not left behind. ”

Mr. . Newsom praised Mr.. . Padilla’s extensive public service experience. Mr. An ally of the governor throughout his political career, Padilla has held public office since 1999 when he was elected to Los Angeles City Council at age 26. He served two terms in the Senate and then two terms as Secretary of State and headed the office that conducts the California elections.

« Because of its tenacity, integrity, intelligence and strength, California wins a tested fighter in its corner who will be a fierce ally in D. ». C.. . to elevate the values ​​of our state and ensure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic, ”said Mr. Newsom. “He’s going to be a senator to all Californians. ”

The decision followed months of deliberations from Mr.. News and lobbying from California’s myriad political factions for a position whose occupiers not only need the experience to work effectively in Washington, but also the money and political base to hold the seat in 2022 as a woman. Harris’ term ends.

California progressives had Mr.. . Newsom appoints Representative Barbara Lee or other like-minded Democrat. Mr. Newsom was also under pressure to substitute a black woman for Frau. Harris, the only black woman in the Senate. Representative Karen Bass and wife. Lee was high on that list.

As weeks passed after the presidential election, she became a woman. Harris was elected President-elect Joseph R’s ally. Biden Jr. . burst out into the open with public notices, full-page newspaper ads, and open letters. The Hispanic Caucus of Congress supported Mr.. Padilla. The L. . G. B.. . T. . Q. . Community and Equality California is a campaigner for Robert Garcia, Long Beach Mayor. Black Women United, co-founder of Black Lives Matter, and a number of Black elected officials pushed for Ms.. Bass or mrs. lee.

woman. Lee congratulated Mr. on Twitter. Padilla as “a qualified lawmaker and unwavering advocate for justice. « I believe he will be a strong voice in the Senate for those who continue to be denied our country’s promise of equality, » she said.

Nathalie Rayes, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Latino Victory Fund, who stands up for Mr.. . Padilla called the appointment « a long overdue milestone for the Latino community » and a « bold move towards a Senate that looks like the communities it serves ». She added, “His appointment will not only increase the representation of Latinos in the Senate, but also open the door for future generations of Latino leaders. ”

Leading California Republicans were less impressed. « One of the worst election officials in the nation is going to go to DC, not elected !!! » Harmeet Dhillon, a Conservative civil rights attorney and member of the Republican National Committee, tweeted.

California Senator Dianne Feinstein approved of Mr.. Padilla, who had worked in her field office at the beginning of his career. But other interest groups wanted women. Feinstein himself resigns – a phone call that resonated after a New York article earlier this month suggested that Dr.. . Feinstein, 87, experienced a cognitive decline.

The elevation of Mr.. . Padilla leaves Mr.. . Newsom with a vacancy in the Secretary of State, a potential consolation prize for at least one disappointed contender. He will also have to appoint a new Attorney General if the Senate confirms the appointment of Xavier Becerra as Lord. Bidens Secretary for Health and Human Services.

In particular, the position of attorney general has served as a stepping stone to higher offices in recent years. next to Mr.. . Becerra, the youngest attorneys general, are a woman. Former Harris and California Governor Jerry Brown.

Alex Vassar, a legislative historian with the California State Library, said the last California governor to hold three statewide offices was Earl Warren, who appointed a new senator, state controller, and member of the December 1952 and January 1953 State-appointed Compensation Commission. Pat Brown also made three appointments in 1964 and 1965, Mr.. Vassar said, but just hasten the arrival of an incoming senator.

When sending Mr. . Padilla to the Senate, sir. Newsom chose a Democrat of his own generation to stand by the governor and back his Latino support in several critical races. He also selected a seasoned candidate who was elected twice statewide and whose work has significantly improved California freedom of choice and voter size since 2014.

The middle child of a short term cook from Jalisco, Mexico and a housekeeper from Chihuahua, Mr.. . Padilla grew up in Los Angeles and graduated from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994, where he worked his way through school with janitorial jobs and work study programs. Although he studied mechanical engineering, his plan to become an aerospace engineer was derailed by the immigration policies that swept his home state in the 1990s.

Inspired by a summer job helping Latino students prepare for college and by Proposition 187, a 1994 election initiative that would have banned undocumented immigrants from public services including schools and non-emergency health care , he applied for a fellowship in the leadership development program for Coro, a nonprofit organization.

Before « I wouldn’t say I ever dreamed of running for office, but I knew I had to do my part or our church would continue to be scapegoated, » he said in last month an interview.

Mr. . Padilla worked as the community organizer for Art Torres, who later headed the state’s Democratic Party (and also oversaw Mr.. Becerra). He then carried out legislative campaigns for two Latino politicians in Los Angeles and worked for Dr. . Feinstein’s field office before winning his seat on the Los Angeles City Council with the support of the city’s Latino-dominated unions. Until 2001 he was the youngest President of the Council.

In 2003, as Mr.. Newsom was running for Mayor of San Francisco, Mr.. . Padilla introduced him to contacts in Los Angeles and helped him strengthen his position against a Latino opponent. A few years later, as a member of the State Senate, was Mr.. Padilla ran Mr.. . Newsom’s application for governor in 2009 before Jerry Brown entered the race and Mr.. . Newsom got out and ran to the lieutenant governor instead.

In 2018 he became Mr.. Newsom supported him again at an early age in a crowded elementary school, which also included former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

As Secretary of State, Mr.. Padilla promised to register a million new California voters; The state has added more than four million because of legislation it endorses that registers Californians to vote when they get their driver’s license.

A father of three, Mr.. . Padilla and his wife Angela live in the San Fernando Valley. His mother died three years ago, he said, but he, his father, and siblings live within five miles of each other. His sister works for the Los Angeles Public School System and his younger brother is Chief of Staff to the President of the Los Angeles City Council.

« We are all in the civil service and for me this is no accident, » said Mr. . Said Padilla. He cited the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on color communities, inequalities in digital literacy, and « the long-standing need for comprehensive immigration reform » as issues he was « keen to play a role ». ”

« I love the civil service and have been doing it for over 20 years. I would like to go on as long as I am effective and they continue to have me, « he said.

Alex Padilla, Kamala Harris, United States Senate, Gavin Newsom, Secretary of State of California