Newsom Pressured to Pick Latino for Senate Vacancy

Latino Community Leaders Urge Gov. Newsom to Appoint Latino to Fill Soon Vacant U.S. Senate Seat

SACRAMENTO- A coalition of Latino elected officials, community leaders and organizations are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a Latina or Latino to the U.S. Senate seat for California that will be vacated by Sen. Kamala Harris in January 2021.

The vacancy was created when Joe Biden and Harris, his running mate, won the presidential election held Nov.3

Since California became the 31st state in 1850, there has never been a Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate. With Latinos now comprising nearly 40 percent of the state population and growing, Latino leaders say now is the time for Governor Newsom to act in appointing a Latino. Dozens of Latino leaders will gather at news conferences in Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Jose, and they say there is no shortage of highly qualified candidates for Newsom to choose from.

Some of the names being tossed out are Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a Newsom confidant many see as a leading contender. Padilla is the son of Mexican immigrants, Another contender is Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Hispanic and a former congressman.

The 17th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution empowers state governors to make appointments to fill their states vacancies in the U.S. Senate. Governor have made such appointments 201 times throughout U.S. history, including five times in California with John Seymour in 1991, Pierre Salinger in 1964, Thomas Kuchel in 1953, William Knowland in 1945 and Thomas Storke in 1938.

News conferences are being organized by the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Latino Caucus of California Counties, League of California Cities Latino Caucus, Chicano Latino Caucus of the California Democratic Party, California Latino School Boards Association, NALEO, Unidos US, California LULAC, Latino Community Foundation, Mi Familia Vota, Communities for New California, SIREN, CHIRLA, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), United Latinos Sacramento, Central Valley Latino Roundtable, Latino Equity Council (San Diego), Latino Leadership Alliance, Central Valley LEAP Institute and Central Coast Citizenship Project VOTA, along with Latino elected officials and individual community leaders.

When:

SACRAMENTO: 11 a.m. Monday Nov. 16 at Cesar Chavez Plaza, across City Hall, 910 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

Assemblymember Robert Rivas, Vice-Chair of the CA Latino Legislative Caucus
Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman
Assemblyember Lorena Gonzalez
Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna
Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra (SPANISH)
Jaqueline Martinez Garcel, California Latino Community Foundation Executive Director
Jorge Pacheco, President of Latino School Boards Assn
Vanessa Cajina, HOPE Board Member (TENTATIVE)
Jose Carmona, Unidos US representative
Norma Alcala, Chicano Latino Caucus of CA Dem Party representative

FRESNO: 11 a.m. Wednesday, Nov. 18 at Fresno City Hall, Front Side, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721

Esmeralda Soria & Miguel Arias, Fresno Councilmembers & League of CA Cities Latino Caucus
Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, Latino Legislative Caucus
Luis Alejo, Monterey County Supervisor, Latino Caucus of Counties & rep from Central Coast
Marisela Gutierrez, SIREN Executive Director (SPANISH)
Samuel Molina, Mi Familia Vota CA State Director
Erica Cabrera, HOPE Board Member
Pablo Rodriguez, Communities for a New California Executive Director
Rey Leon, Huron Mayor and Central Valley LEAP Institute Executive Director
Adriana Saldivar, CA Latino Community Foundation Executive Director

SAN DIEGO: 11 a.m. on Thursday, Nov. 19 at Cesar Chavez Park, San Diego Bay, Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, San Diego, CA 92101