Senator Dianne Feinstein’s recent health problems and advanced age have focused attention and pressure on another former San Francisco mayor

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It would be up to Governor. Gavin Newsom must select a person to complete Feinstein’s term if she dies or resigns

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Should he be faced with the need to appoint a replacement, Newsom said in an interview that aired Sunday that he would choose an interim caretaker, and not one of the candidates running for the seat of Feinstein.

“It would be completely unfair to the Democrats who have done the best they can,” Newsom said in the interview with Chuck Todd, host of NBC’s “Meet the Press.”

“These primaries are only a matter of months away. I don’t want to tip the balance.”

The candidates seeking to replace Feinstein have made this choice all the more likely

fascinating,

in part because Newsom promised in 2021 to appoint a Black woman if the seat opened.

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland) is the only prominent Black woman in the race. Two other Democratic members of Congress are also running: Reps. Adam B. Schiff of Burbank and Katie Porter of Irvine.

“We hope we never have to make this decision, but I consistently stand by what I’ve said very publicly,” Newsom said when Todd asked if he would keep his promise to appoint a Black woman.

There is not a single Black woman in the 100-member Senate, a void created when Kamala Harris left her seat in California and was sworn in as vice president in 2021.

Despite pressure on Newsom to appoint a Black woman to fill Harris’ seat, the Democratic governor instead brought in then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a longtime politician who made history as the first Latino senator from California.

Newsom spokesman Anthony York declined to name anyone the governor might consider when faced with appointing a replacement for Feinstein, saying, “It’s a hypothetical on top of a hypothetical.”

Lee’s candidacy has not been rejected so far, with Porter and Schiff surpassing her in fundraising and polling. In a recent one

UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times

According to the poll, the Oakland congressman received 7% of support, while Porter and Schiff received 17% and 20%, respectively.

The same survey found that Newsom’s preference to appoint an interim caretaker does not align with public opinion. When asked what Newsom should do if Feinstein resigns, 51% of likely voters said the governor should appoint someone willing to run for a full Senate term in the 2024 elections.

A quarter of likely voters say he should appoint someone willing to serve as an interim official and not run for a full term. The rest had no opinion.

In the NBC interview, Newsom said that despite Feinstein’s health problems, California remains well represented in the U.S. Senate, and that its staff is equipped to take on many responsibilities.

“We work extremely closely together,” he said.

He also acknowledged appointing an unusual set of officials to fill vacancies in statewide elected positions. In addition to Padilla’s appointment, he has also selected the secretary of state and attorney general in recent years. They are all Democrats, and they all easily won election to full terms.

“I don’t want to make another appointment, and I don’t think the people of California want me to make another appointment. I’ve made enough appointments,” Newsom said.

Times Sacramento Bureau Chief Laurel Rosenhall contributed to this report.