Newsom faces tough choice in filling Feinstein's coveted seat

With Sen. Feinstein's seat vacant, Gov. Newsom faces pressure to appoint a black woman, a promise he made earlier, with implications for Democratic policies in California and the nation.

Gov. Gavin Newsom, facing pressure to appoint someone quickly as the Democrats’ thin majority hangs in limbo amid an imminent government shutdown, has previously vowed to select a Black woman. He faced criticism after appointing then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace then-Sen. Kamala Harris’s position before she assumed the vice presidency. There are no Black women in the Senate since Harris left, Newsom noted. Jamie Joseph is a writer who covers politics. She leads Fox News Digital coverage of the Senate. 

He has also previously said he did not want to make a decision to fill her seat if it became vacant. The NAACP told Newsom on Friday, "Now the time has come for you to keep your promise."