Dianne Feinstein Death Gives Gavin Newsom Power To Appoint A Placeholder

The race to replace the now-late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein was already well underway before her death Thursday night at age 90.

Feinstein announced in February that she would step down at the end of her current term in early 2025, creating a wide-open Democratic primary and prompting California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) to reaffirm a pledge he made in 2021 to appoint a Black woman to fill any future Senate vacancies. It’s not clear yet who that appointee might be, but Newsom is expected to move quickly, given Democrats’ slim 50-49 majority without Feinstein, who died after months of declining health.

Names of up-and-coming Black officeholders tossed out include San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass — the first Black women to lead either of their respective cities — as well as Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who replaced Alex Padilla when he became a senator. An appointment to the Senate, however, would mean giving up their current offices for a yearlong stint in Washington.