Some California officials doubt Gov. Gavin Newsom will fulfill his promise to select a Black woman for the U.S. Senate if the opportunity arises.
Two years ago, Newsom verbally committed to appointing a Black woman to the Senate if Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who was 87 at the time, resigned before her current term ended. Asked that specific yes-or-no question on March 15, 2021, by Joy Reid on her weekday MSNBC show, “The ReidOut,” Newsom responded: “We have multiple names in mind, and the answer is yes.”
According to the Los Angeles Times, the longtime senator’s prolonged absence from Washington while she recovers from shingles has revived the conversation. On Wednesday, Feinstein promised to return to the Capitol before she retires in early 2025, at the end of her term, but that’s not stopping Black leaders from questioning whether Newsom’s sincerity remains.
“Making good on a commitment is a serious thing to the most critical base of Democratic Party voters,” said Aimee Allison, She the People founder and president. Her organization advocates for more women of color to hold elected office.
Since Reconstruction, only six Black people have won Senate seats.
One of them, Vice President Kamala Harris, vacated her Senate seat for the higher post. She was the second Black woman ever elected to the Senate, after Illinois’ Carol Moseley Braun, and there now are no Black women in the chamber.
“We’re not going to be satisfied with lip service or lesser than,” said Allison, according to the Times. “We want representation in the Senate.”
Democratic Rep. Barbara Lee of Oakland appears to be the only strong Black woman candidate in California’s 2024 election to replace Feinstein. Some Black elected officials and political activists wonder why Newsom hasn’t previously endorsed Lee, given Feinstein’s stated intention to retire. Lee, a liberal icon, is up against two Democratic colleagues, Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, who have raised more money — and are polling better — than her.
“We still do not have a Black female senator in those halls,” said Democratic Rep. Sydney Kamlager of Los Angeles. Kamlager, who has endorsed Lee and Schiff in the primary, noted that the governor could be part of history, adding, “It’s very curious.”
In a letter to Newsom in 2020, Kamlager — then a state senator — and several other Black public officials pleaded with the governor to select Lee or Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass, who was serving in Congress at the time, to replace Harris in the U.S. Senate. The Democratic governor instead tapped Alex Padilla, a political ally who made history as California’s first Latino senator.
Despite Newsom’s choice to nominate Padilla in Harris’ place, Lee and Bass poured their political organizing strength behind the governor as he prevailed against a 2021 recall attempt.
Newsom did not reciprocate Bass’ energy when she faced off against former Republican turned-Democratic businessman Rick Caruso in L.A.’s mayoral race. The governor claimed he wanted to avoid getting involved in Democrat-vs.-Democrat races.
“For the second cycle in a row, he’s ignoring the viable progressive Black woman. So it’s a little strange,” said California Donor Table’s executive director, Ludovic Blain, according to the Times. “When he didn’t do the Karen Bass endorsement, that made me wonder about the pledge.”
Newsom’s senior political aide, Lindsey Cobia, said the governor would not weigh in on the race. However, she acknowledged that “there are three extremely qualified candidates” who have displayed the boldness it takes to fight for California’s values in Washington.
A spokesperson for Lee’s campaign declined to comment on Newsom’s decision but said Feinstein’s health is of primary concern.
Bass endorsed Lee in March and had little to say about Newsom’s stance. However, in a recent interview, she told the Times that as an elected official, she hates seeing people “choosing between your friends.”
Allison said she’d love to see Newsom utilize his political clout behind the scenes to sway donations toward Lee. She emphasized the significance of Black women voters, who consistently support the Democratic Party and have a decisive influence in close elections nationwide.
Black registered voters frequently give Newsom his highest approval ratings. In February, 71 percent of respondents to a Berkeley IGS poll gave him positive marks for work performance.
“The governor could complicate his legacy,” Allison maintained, according to the Times, “and push Black women, who in this state are a significant and critical voting bloc, to view him skeptically as someone who’s unwilling to support us when it counts.”
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