With the death Friday morning of Governor Senator Dianne Feinstein. Gavin Newsom must now decide who will fill her seat in the U.S. Senate

until the next elections

.

Who will it be? Here’s a look at what we know from the pages of The Times:

What Nieuwsom said

Newsom said in an interview several weeks ago that he would choose an interim caretaker, not one of the candidates running for Feinstein’s seat next year.

Three Democratic members of Congress are running in the March 2024 primaries.

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

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

Newsom promised to appoint a Black woman in 2021 if the seat opens up.

We hope we never have to make this decision, but I consistently stand by what I have 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. To deflect criticism, Newsom promised to appoint a black woman if another Senate seat became available.

earlier

so this

The following year, the governor appeared on MSNBC and was asked by host Joy Reid whether he would restore Harris’ seat by appointing a black woman. Newsom jumped on the question.

We have several names in mind, he said, and the answer is yes.

The candidates

Feinstein announced last year that she would not run for another term.

The leading candidates to replace her are Reps. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland), Adam B. Schiff of Burbank and Katie Porter of Irvine.

Lee has criticized Newsom, saying he should not limit his choice to a caregiver.

The longtime congresswoman’s candidacy has not been rejected so far, with Porter and Schiff surpassing her in fundraising and polling. In a recent UC Berkeley/Los Angeles Times 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.