SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has named the first Latino to represent California in the United States Senate.
Alex Padilla, California's current Secretary of State, was named to fill and serve the remainder of Kamala Harris' US Senate term, which ends with the 2022 election.
According to a press release, Padilla, who previously served as a Los Angeles City Councilman and State Senator, is also the first Southern Californian in nearly three decades to serve.
Padilla is the child of Mexican immigrants and his appointment gives a new level of representation to the demographic group that makes up nearly 40% of the state's population. Padilla has been California’s top elections official since 2015. In that position, he’s overseen California’s vast elections apparatus, including the rollout of a more robust vote-by-mail system.