![]() Political handicappers say Newsom will almost certainly aim for a historic choice. Also, “pushing for a positive media narrative, working hard to get their name out there in favorable videos and viral posts” can boost name ID, she noted. That includes fundraising - she said California’s next senator should be a rainmaker for both the state and national party. And reporters who cover the Capitol are being reminded, via text and Twitter, of contenders Newsom should consider.ĭemocratic strategist Amelia Matier said her advice to any serious hopefuls would note the need for a “multi-level” strategy to break through the political clutter. Major party donors and leaders of special interest groups are also quietly being asked to make plays, sources said. The influential head of a major labor union reported getting calls to pass names onto the governor. The moves right now include a timely reminder, text or call to Newsom - but also to those close to key decision-makers or influencers in the governor’s life, including First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom, Chief of Staff Ann O’Leary, or even the governor’s sister, Hillary Newsom Callan. ![]() A governor doesn’t want to be put in a position to look like he has succumbed to a public pressure campaign.” “The thing about this process is that everyone knows if they to go too public with their lobbying effort, it basically sinks your chances. it’s all triple play and bank shots, trying to get someone to talk to someone to talk to someone,” South said. “A lot of this stuff if very subtle and behind the scenes. Gray Davis and Newsom, said the inside lobbying involves a delicate balance of chutzpah and diplomacy. Longtime Democratic strategist Garry South, who has advised former Gov. Newsom hasn’t even begun to consider the possibilities and is focused on California’s wildfires and Covid-19 challenges, said communications director Nathan Click. ![]() She acknowledged to POLITICO that she’s being considered but noted multiple leadership opportunities could arise should Biden and Harris win. Karen Bass, head of the Congressional Black Caucus who made Biden’s VP short list after elevating her national profile this year. Besides being experienced leaders who would make history, each would leave Newsom a second vacancy to fill upon leaving his own office.Īnother top contender is Rep. Latino residents now comprise a plurality with 39 percent of the state’s population.Īnother son of Mexican immigrants is high atop the list: Attorney General Xavier Becerra, who isn’t as close to the governor but has an established presence in Washington after serving 12 terms in Congress.īoth have consistently been in the public eye, Becerra by filing dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration and Padilla by defending the integrity of California’s elections system during the pandemic. So everybody’s trying to do their own version of smart campaigning.”īased on POLITICO interviews with more than 20 state political insiders, the short list is still topped by California Secretary of State Alex Padilla, a longtime Newsom supporter who would be the first Latino U.S senator in California’s 170-year history. These seats don’t come around often, and once filled, they can be filled for decades. “There’s three dozen plausible potential senators - and there’s only one spot. and there’s no shortage of ambition here,’’ said Democratic strategist Brian Goldsmith. The governor does have the ability to name a caretaker and call a special election, but sources do not expect him to go that route. When a Senate seat goes vacant in California, the governor can appoint a replacement without calling a special election, and Newsom’s pick would serve the remaining two years on Harris’ term before facing the voters with the huge advantage of incumbency. ![]() ![]() In this deep-blue state, where no Republican has won statewide in 14 years, a Senate seat could be the closest it gets to a lifetime appointment. A week before the election - and potentially weeks before the outcome is known - California Democrats are elbowing each other for the chance to sway Newsom on how to fill the state’s junior senator seat should Joe Biden and Harris (D-Calif.) head to the White House.Īt least a dozen California Democrats are seriously in the mix, and their supporters, donors and staffers are jostling behind the scenes to make their case. ![]()
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