California may see a new senator in Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA)'s seat sooner than the 2024 election, as her health may force her to retire and open up the position for Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) to fill.
Speculation is already rising over who Newsom could appoint to the role. A vacancy of a Democratic Senate seat could have widespread implications for the 2024 election, forcing Newsom to make calculated decisions on who should succeed Feinstein, who announced she is not seeking reelection.
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Newsom pledged in 2021 that he would nominate a black woman for Senate should Feinstein retire. Though he has not publicly declared who he had in mind, here are the possible replacements for Feinstein should she retire.
Rep. Barbara Lee
Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) is a strong contender for the position should Feinstein retire. Lee announced her campaign for Feinstein's seat on Feb. 21.
Black political leaders are rallying around Lee, who are still bitter over Newsom appointing now-Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) to fill Vice President Kamala Harris's seat instead of a black woman.
Lee is garnering heavy support for the role and is facing off against Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) in a nascent Senate race that is already causing friction among California Democrats.
However, Lee's campaign has declined to comment on the matter out of respect for Feinstein. She had put off announcing her election campaign until Feinstein confirmed she was retiring at the end of 2024.
“The congresswoman’s primary concern is for Sen. Feinstein’s health,” Lee campaign spokeswoman Katie Merrill said in a statement to Politico. “She is wishing the Senator a full and speedy recovery.”
Karen Bass
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is also a name floating around the potential appointment. A former state congresswoman, Bass is the first woman and second African American to serve as mayor of the city.
She ran her mayoral campaign mostly on bringing down homelessness in the area, a major issue plaguing several Democratic-controlled cities across the country.
It is possible that Newsom may skip over Bass, as he did not endorse her in the mayoral race last year, despite high-profile Democrats, including President Joe Biden, throwing their support behind her. His decision drew criticism from black coalitions across the country.
However, Newsom pledged in 2021 that he would nominate a black woman for Senate should Feinstein retire, so appointing Bass could be a way to fulfill that promise without wading into the tense 2024 California Senate contest.
When asked if Bass would consider the job, spokesman Zach Seidl said, “absolutely not.”
Shirley Weber
California Secretary of State Shirley Weber may be another option that would help Newsom avoid the 2024 Senate contest, preventing him from publicly showing favoritism to Lee, Schiff, or Porter.
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However, appointing a caretaker, or someone who fills the position until an election can take place, may not be something Newsom wants to tackle and instead may throw his lot behind a full-term, six-year candidate.
When asked if Weber would consider the job, Matt Herdman, a campaign spokesman, told Politico, “no comment.”