Newsom faces political minefield with calls for Feinstein to resign

[Just A Box Of Rain]

30. A little background in CA politics.

When Newsom replaced Kamala Harris with Alex Padilla, a fine Democrat and the first Latino Senator from California, there was some backlash about not having named a Black woman instead.

Then Newsom pledged if there was another vacancy that he'd name a Black woman. I'm certain he had then House Rep. Karen Bass in mind. But Bass has now been elected LA Mayor.

Bass is in the same liberal-pragmatic-progress lane as Newsom.

But Karen Bass is out of the picture.

Barbara Lee (unless Newsom went with an outlier) is the next most obvious choice. Lee is beloved in her Berkeley/Oakland/Alameda Co. district, but is left of the Democratic Party generally speaking.

I don't think Lee could defeat wither Porter or Schiff in an open election. Those two will be in a heck of a race.

Pressure on Feinstein by people such as Lee's co-chairman Ro Khanna, could--if Newsom held to the previous pledge--elevate Lee to the Senate.

Were Feinstein to resign, I am among those who believe the people should select our next Senator. We have one "appointee" (who was elected in his own right, but with the advantage of incumbency) already.

So I'd prefer a caretaker if such things came to pass. Perhaps, if she were willing, Barbara Boxer?

My greatest preference if for Dianne Feinstein to recover quickly and fill out her term.

Newsome will have political hot potatoes if Feinstein resigns. The party could be riven.