Politico: “Launching Kamala Harris into the White House as vice president come January has officially kicked off one of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s biggest political decisions: appointing California’s next U.S. senator. Many Newsom insiders insist that the governor wants to make a historic choice, making Secretary of State Alex Padilla a leading contender. If picked, Padilla, a longtime Newsom supporter, would become the first Latino senator in the state’s 170-year history.”

“The governor also has to contend with women’s groups who have also pressured him to fill Harris’ seat with another woman of color, putting Rep. Karen Bass of Los Angeles, the head of the Congressional Black Caucus, high on the list. Bass was on Joe Biden’s vice-presidential shortlist, and said recently that she’s keeping her options open with a new administration coming in. Other considerations include whether Harris’ replacement would be able to hold the seat at the end of her current term, which expires in two years — or if he should pick a ‘placeholder’ that would allow an even playing field given how someone may hold the seat for decades. Newsom said he is being lobbied day and night by Democrats, and joked they’re getting creative in attempting to get his attention. ‘You know there’s phone calls, there’s emails,’ he said. ‘People just happen to show up certain places. They want to babysit your kids, they offer to get groceries, get coffee.'”