September 11th 2023.
California Governor Gavin Newsom has been vocal about keeping Black women legislators close to him since Vice President Kamala Harris took office. Most recently, with Senator Dianne Feinstein's illness and subsequent announcement that she will not be running for re-election in 2023, Representative Barbara Lee was a frontrunner to take her seat.
However, in a surprising announcement, FOX News reports that Newsom is disqualifying Lee from the opportunity. When asked about his stance on the matter on NBC's Meet the Press, Newsom told host Chuck Todd, "Yes, interim appointment. I don't want to get involved in the primary." He continued, "It would be completely unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don't want to tip the balance of that."
Lee responded to Newsom's announcement with a statement of her own, stating that his promise of appointing a Black woman as a "caretaker" is insulting. She wrote, "The idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election." Lee further pointed out that there are currently no Black women serving in the Senate and only two Black woman Senators since 1789. She concluded by saying, "Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table."
In response, Anthony York, Newsom's senior advisor of Communications & Strategy, said, "It's a hypothetical on top of a hypothetical. There is no vacancy for any U.S. Senate seat, nor does the Governor anticipate there will be one. Voters will have their say on who should replace Senator Feinstein when they go to the polls less than 6 months from now."
Senator Dianne Feinstein has been in office for more than 30 years and is the oldest member of the Senate at 90 years old. Her decision to not run for re-election has caused a stir among the other Democratic candidates vying for her seat, most notably Representative Barbara Lee. Although Newsom initially expressed his support for Lee, he ultimately decided to not appoint her as the interim candidate, leaving the decision up to California voters.
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