As has been noted repeatedly, California Gov. Gavin Newsom will soon be appointing someone to replace Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate. There's long been a possibility that the seat would become vacant before Feinstein's retirement in 2024, so the jockeying and strategizing about who Newsom could/should appoint has been a hot topic both nationally and in the state.
My colleague Jennifer Oliver O'Connell already wrote about some of that jockeying in the wake of Feinstein's death. One of the most interesting possibilities, which I heard of through the political grapevine back at the beginning of 2023, is that Newsom would appoint Kamala Harris, which gets her out of the way and allows him to replace her on the Biden 2024 ticket. Duke, contrarian that he is, has already dismissed that possibility. I've been skeptical, but here's why I now think it's a legitimate possibility.
The biggest question asked when this theory's mentioned is, why in the world would Vice President Kamala Harris take this demotion? Obviously it's a lower office, but she could serve a heck of a lot longer in the Senate than in the White House, and while Kamala is dim she's not so dim that she doesn't realize how terrible her poll numbers are and what that means for her political future. Were she to resume her position as U.S. Senator from California, she could serve out the rest of her days as the heiress to Feinstein's legacy. As mentioned above, when I first heard this theory I was pretty skeptical, but when I saw a piece in the Los Angeles Times throwing the hypothetical out there I knew there was something to it - a story like that doesn't get published in the LA Times without Newsom either placing it himself or giving his blessing. And Feinstein couldn't have timed her death any better - with a potential government shutdown looming, the Democrats need every vote and they don't have time for a newbie to get up to speed. This provides the perfect face-saving messaging for Kamala.
Should Gavin decide against this course, or should Kamala tell him to pound sand, here are a few other possibilities (some more serious than others) for him to consider if he really wants to be an innovator and shake things up.
We already know that whoever Newsom picks is going to be a black woman, since he committed to do that in 2021 when the issue of appointments came up during his recall election. That was before Feinstein announced that she wouldn't seek re-election in 2024 and before a trio of Democrat congresspeople, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee, announced their candidacy for the seat. Only Lee is a black woman, so she and her supporters thought she'd have a leg up if Feinstein either stepped down due to health issues or died in office. But a few weeks ago Newsom said he didn't want to get involved in the primary and would only be appointing a "caretaker" for the seat, meaning someone who isn't a candidate in the 2024 primary and who, presumably, wouldn't be running to keep the seat in 2024.
That ticked Barbara Lee off big-time; she called the newest caveat to Newsom's qualification "insulting." That public repudiation of Newsom sealed her fate; there's no way a man who gets visibly angry with journalists who don't give him the exact coverage he wants will pick a woman he likely sees as insolent to fill that seat.
So, who are my other "caretaker" possibilities? The bar is pretty low because, let's face it, Democrats aren't sending their finest to the U.S. Senate anymore.
1. Maxine Waters
My mind first went to Mad Auntie Maxine, a/k/a Rep. Maxine Waters, as a potential caretaker for the seat. Theoretically she could still run for re-election to Congress while keeping Feinstein's seat warm, and undoubtedly voters in her district will enthusiastically keep her there - especially since she'd be able to say she was there when duty called. Since she's not the craziest Democrat in the House anymore, by a longshot, she might see this as an opportunity to expand her brand.
2. Meghan Markle
Unfortunately, this isn't as far-fetched as one might think at first glance. One extremely reliable Hollywood gossip site reported that Markle has been talking with Newsom since 2021- before he made the statement that he would fill any vacancy with a black woman - about a possible appointment, and that Markle is on the short list. Markle and "First Partner" Jennifer Siebel Newsom have a lot in common, particularly that they're both terrible actresses with abundant ambition and low morals, so Jen would probably be very on board with that appointment. Markle is not blond, so she's not the type Gavin normally screws around with, so she has that going for her as well. She's so thirsty for the appointment that she even invited the Newsoms to her son's birthday party.
3. Oprah Winfrey
Markle's Montecito neighbor Oprah is a no-brainer for the a seat filler. Given the amount of money Oprah currently makes and the few demands on her time, it's doubtful that Winfrey would want to be a Senator long-term. If she did it for a year, though, she'd be able to say "Former Senator Oprah Winfrey" and use that platform to campaign for Dems in 2024 - and then turn the whole experience into some kind of book and movie fodder. Gavin probably wouldn't want to compete for camera time with Winfrey, though.
4. London Breed
Wouldn't it just be so meaningful for Newsom to appoint another female Mayor of San Francisco to the seat formerly occupied by a Mayor of San Francisco? Breed has pivoted slightly to the right since her election for two reasons: she couldn't go further left, and her constituents could no longer ignore the carnage.
5. Lizzo
Lizzo recently purchased Harry Styles' former home in Beverly Hills, and is looking to rehab her image after being accused of sexual harassment by her dancers. Because of her youth and thriving career she wouldn't want to take a big pay cut for the long haul, but she's spoken out about being homeless prior to her big break and this would give her a platform to work on that issue.
6. Kerry Washington
I just don't have anything else to say except no to this Hollywood activist.
While a few of these names actually have potential to be appointed, Newsom's main consideration, as usual, is what will most benefit him personally. If he appoints someone who's already in office, and in an office he can appoint a replacement for (as opposed to a special election), he will create more people who owe him something, and if he can move a potential competitor for higher office out of the way, he will do that. He could even appoint himself, which many observers believe is unlikely, but don't dismiss that possibility. Newsom would have an even bigger bully pulpit and would have the added benefit of commuting from Marin County (there's no way his wife is staying in Sacramento if he's not governor) to Washington, D.C., which gives him a lot more cover to carry on affairs without her knowledge.
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