Appointment to replace Kamala Harris in the U.S. Senate, 2021

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Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) vacated her seat in the U.S. Senate to be sworn in as vice president of the United States on January 19, 2021.

On December 22, 2020, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) announced that he would appoint California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill the vacancy and serve the remaining two years of Harris' term. Padilla was sworn in on January 20, 2021.

California is one of 37 states that temporarily fill U.S. Senate vacancies by gubernatorial appointment. The appointee serves until the next statewide general election is held; the winner in that election serves out the remainder of the term.

Appointee

Alex Padilla served as the California secretary of state from 2015 to 2021. He won re-election to a second term on November 6, 2018. He previously served in the California State Senate, representing District 20 from 2006 to 2014.

Prior to his state legislative service, Padilla was on the Los Angeles City Council from 1999 to 2006. He served as its president from 2001 to 2006.

His other professional experience includes working as a staffer, political director, or campaign manager for a variety of Democratic politicians in California, including Dianne Feinstein, Richard Alarcon, Gilbert Cedillo and Tony Cardenas. Padilla earned his B.S. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1994.

See also

• Presidential election, 2020
• Filling vacancies in the U.S. Senate
• 117th United States Congress
• United States Congress
• United States Senate
• Kamala Harris
• Alex Padilla

Footnotes

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