California Secretary of State Alex Padilla selected to fill Kamala Harris' Senate seat

Alex Padilla.
(Image credit: DNCC via Getty Images)

California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced Tuesday that he has selected California's Secretary of State Alex Padilla (D) to fill the U.S. Senate seat left open by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris. Padilla will serve out the two remaining years of Harris' term after she's sworn in as vice president in January.

Newsom heaped praise on Padilla, a former Los Angeles city council member and state senator, in his announcement. "Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts, and grit, California is getting a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C.," he said.

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.