(TheLibertyRevolution.com)- Now that Kamala Harris is the vice president-elect, she will have to vacate her seat in the U.S. Senate. The decision on who will replace the senator will rest with California Governor Gavin Newsom.
While it’s his duty to select a replacement for Harris, the governor apparently isn’t looking forward to do so. On Election Day, when he was asked about the possibility, Newsom said:
“I mean, honestly, I’m not even exaggerating. There’s a hundred chores that I’d prefer. I’m not kidding. This is not something that I wish even on my worst enemy, because you create enemies in this process you know, not just friends. And it’s a vexing decision. It’s a challenging one.”
If Harris does indeed assume office as the vice president, her replacement would be signing on to serve for at least two years. Harris’ current term is set to expire in January 2023, meaning her replacement would have to run for re-election in 2022.
Despite not relishing the duty of selecting a replacement, Newsom did say he wouldn’t avoid doing so by calling for a special election to choose Harris’ replacement. As he said, there are a few things he needs to take into consideration.
“Is it a caretaker, or someone who can turnaround a win?” he posed. “Is it someone that’s qualified that may not win but would be?”
One of Newsom’s advisors, Nathan Ballard, put in his own two cents on the position, saying:
“Diversity is a given. It’s not going to be someone who looks like Gavin,” who is a straight white male.
One of the challenges Newsom may face in selecting a Senate replacement for Harris is that some of the reported top contenders may also be under consideration for a post within the Biden administration. If given the choice, which one would these people choose?
That being said, there are a lot of prominent people Newsom will be choosing from. That includes California’s current secretary of state, Alex Padilla. It also includes California’s attorney general, Xavier Becerra, who has been an ardent attacker of President Donald Trump and his administration.
If Newsom were to select one of these people, they’d become the first Latino senator from California.
Other choices include Karen Bass, a Representative from Los Angeles who was once considered a possibility for the vice presidential nomination. Ro Khanna, who has ties to Silicon Valley, is also a reported possibility.
As the former chief of staff for Harris, Nathan Barankin, said of Newsom’s pending decision:
“This is going to be a huge, huge challenge for the governor because he’s got an embarrassment of riches.”
Republicans are going to be extremely interested in who Newsom chooses to replace Harris, too. Senators from California have proven to have a large influence on the upper chamber. Aime Allison, head of the group She the People, which seeks to boost women of color to positions of leadership within politics, said:
“If there’s one thing that was clarified during the Trump years, it is that the policy and political leadership coming from California have been key in providing resistance.”
