![]() ![]() Of the 25 remaining female senators, only three will be women of color.ĭemocratic Reps. Without Harris, the 100-member Senate will no longer have a Black woman member. “He’ll speak to people who otherwise don’t see themselves as making a difference or think that they don’t matter,” Durazo said.Īfrican American leaders, women’s political organizations and Democratic donors had ramped up the pressure on Newsom in recent weeks to pick another Black woman to succeed Harris, arguing that Black women should be recognized for being the most reliable base of Democratic voters. She said the selection of a senator who could give a national platform to “the message of immigrants, the message of Latinos, the message of hardworking cooks and house cleaners” made her proud. Maria Elena Durazo, the Los Angeles Democrat who chairs the California Latino Legislative Caucus, knocked on doors for Padilla when he first ran for office on the Los Angeles City Council in 1999. “I feel very emotional today, because obviously this is the American dream in its full force,” she said, adding that her organization and others would “need to continue working to ensure there is representation for all people of color” in the Senate. President and CEO Nathalie Rayes, who immigrated to Los Angeles from Venezuela at age 9, said Tuesday that she was brought to tears watching the video of Newsom and Padilla and shared it with her young sons. The Latino Victory Fund, a political action committee that works to elect Latinos, started a digital ad campaign called “ Pick Padilla” in August, after President-elect Joe Biden tapped Harris to be his running mate. Although Latinos now make up the largest ethnic group in California, about 39% of the population, none has ever represented the state in the Senate. Latino groups and politicians had been vocal, even before Harris was elected as vice president, about wanting representation in the seat. xiAzpTS42Y- Gavin Newsom December 22, 2020 ![]() I can think of no one better to represent the state of California as our next United States Senator. But the I know is far more interested in changing history - especially for the working men and women of our state and country. And it’s a hell of an important perspective to bring to Washington.” ![]() “That’s why I try so hard to make sure that our democracy is as inclusive in California as we’ve built. “I can’t tell you how many pancakes my dad flipped, or eggs he scrambled, trying to provide for us, or the many, many years of my mom cleaning houses, doing the same thing,” Padilla said, choking up. “This is the ask, brother,” Newsom told Padilla, who said he was honored and humbled on behalf of his parents. On social media, the governor shared an excerpt of the video call Monday evening where he made the offer to Padilla. With Newsom quarantined for a second time after exposure to a staff member who tested positive for the coronavirus, the announcement arrived via press release, carrying little of the fanfare that would typically mark the occasion. ![]() Dianne Feinstein, the California Democrat who hired him as an aide a quarter-century ago, launching his political career. Padilla will serve in the Senate alongside Sen. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |