Gavin Newsom appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris' Senate seat on Tuesday, choosing the first Latino in state history for the role. The California governor extended the offer to Padilla in a video conversation that he released in his tweet. He moved on to the state Senate in 2006, representing the San Fernando Valley. There will be no Black women in the Senate after Harris' exit in January to join President-elect Joe Biden's administration. Others who were in contention for the Senate appointment included California's Rep. Katie Porter, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, state Senate President Pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Lt. Gov.

Source: CNN December 22, 2020 18:11 UTC