Governor Gavin Newsom announced the selection of California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to fill the seat in the United States Senate vacated by Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Tuesday.

The selection is another history-making moment in Padilla’s career, as he becomes the first Latino to represent California in the Senate after previously becoming the first Latino to hold the office of Secretary of State’s office after his election in 2014.

“I am honored and humbled by the trust placed in me by Governor Newsom, and I intend to work each and every day to honor that trust and deliver for all Californians,” said Padilla in a statement. “From those struggling to make ends meet to the small businesses fighting to keep their doors open to the health care workers looking for relief, please know that I am going to the Senate to fight for you. We will get through this pandemic together and rebuild our economy in a way that doesn’t leave working families behind.”

The journey to the Senate has been a long one for Padilla. The son of working-class Mexican immigrants, Padilla gained admission to MIT where he earned a degree in mechanical engineering in 1994 and then briefly worked for Hughes Aircraft before the start of his political career.

Padilla went on to work as a successful campaign manager on three state-wide elections before he himself ran for and was elected to the Los Angeles City Council at 26 years old in 1999.

His political career continued with elections to the state senate in 2006 and to the office of Secretary of State in 2014. He was re-elected as Secretary of State in 2018.

In the governor’s release on his selection, he highlights several of Padilla’s accomplishments in voter enfranchisement and election integrity as Secretary of State, including the registration of 22 million voters, the implementation of same-day registration, online pre-registration for 16- and 17-year olds and automatic voter registration, and the upgrade and replacement of voting systems in all 58 counties in the state to systems that meet California’s newer, higher security standards 

“Through his tenacity, integrity, smarts and grit, California is gaining a tested fighter in their corner who will be a fierce ally in D.C., lifting up our state’s values and making sure we secure the critical resources to emerge stronger from this pandemic,” said Newsom. “He will be a Senator for all Californians.”

The full release from Governor Newsom on Padilla’s selection is available here.

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