Washington, D.C. — Today, Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced that he will appoint California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to succeed Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate. In response, Winnie Stachelberg, executive vice president for External Affairs at the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
Alex Padilla’s story embodies the American dream. The son of two immigrants from Mexico, Secretary Padilla has dedicated his career to public service: first on the Los Angeles City Council, next in the California State Senate, and finally as California Secretary of State. Now, Californians will have Secretary Padilla representing them in the U.S. Senate.
As secretary of state, Alex Padilla has been a national champion on the subject of voting rights and access. I know he will work with the incoming Biden administration to help our nation recover from the twin public health and economic crises caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Secretary Padilla’s appointment to the Senate is a historic moment for California and the entire Latinx community, and all of us at CAP look forward to working with him as he assumes his new role as the state’s next U.S. senator.
CAP hosted Padilla for an event on election cybersecurity in 2018 and for an event earlier this year on conducting elections in the midst of a pandemic. He also appeared on CAP’s former podcast, “Thinking CAP,” in 2017, after appearing at a CAP event on attacks on and advances in voter registration and the integrity of the U.S. elections system.
For more information or to speak with an expert, contact Allison Preiss at [email protected].