Padilla Picked to Serve as California’s First Latino Senator
- Secretary of state to replace Vice President-elect Harris
- Decision by Governor Gavin Newsom follows jockeying for seat
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California Secretary of State Alex Padilla will replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, becoming the first Latino in the western state to serve in the chamber.
Padilla, a former Los Angeles city councilman and state senator, will also be the first Southern Californian to join the Senate in almost three decades. His pick by Governor Gavin Newsom followed intense jockeying by the state’s top Democrats over who would fill the role.