© 2024 WFAE
90.7 Charlotte 93.7 Southern Pines 90.3 Hickory 106.1 Laurinburg
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

California Secretary Of State Alex Padilla To Replace Harris In U.S. Senate

California Secretary of State Alex Padilla appears at a 2019 news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.
Rich Pedroncelli
/
AP
California Secretary of State Alex Padilla appears at a 2019 news conference at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate.

Padilla, 47, the son of Mexican immigrants, will be the first Latino from the state to hold the position. California is almost 40% Hispanic, according to the U.S. Census.

Padilla has served as state secretary of state since 2015. Previously, he was a state senator and Los Angeles city councilman. He holds bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Newsom was expected to pick Padilla, as they are known to be political allies. While picking Padilla is history-making, Harris was the only Black woman in the U.S. Senate, and Newsom faced some competing pressure in whom he should select.

Newsom put out a glossy video, promoting Padilla.

In a press release, Newsom called Padilla "a national defender of voting rights."

"Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state's values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic," Newsom said. "He will be a Senator for all Californians."

Padilla thanked Newsom for the appointment in the release and added, "From those struggling to make ends meet to the small businesses fighting to keep their doors open to the health care workers looking for relief, please know that I am going to the Senate to fight for you. We will get through this pandemic together and rebuild our economy in a way that doesn't leave working families behind."

Copyright 2020 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Domenico Montanaro is NPR's senior political editor/correspondent. Based in Washington, D.C., his work appears on air and online delivering analysis of the political climate in Washington and campaigns. He also helps edit political coverage.