Padilla becomes California’s first Latino US senator, replacing Harris
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Alex Padilla, a Los Angeles Democrat who once developed software for satellites but later rose through local and state political office to become California secretary of state, was chosen Tuesday by Gov. Gavin Newsom to serve in the U. S. Senate — an appointment that tears down a barrier for Latinos that has stood as long as California’s statehood.
Padilla, a longtime Newsom ally, will become the first Latino to represent California in the Senate, succeeding another history-making politician, Sen. Kamala Harris. Harris, who was the second Black woman and first South Asian to serve in the Senate, in November became the first woman elected vice president of the United States.
The son of Mexican immigrants who settled in the San Fernando Valley, Padilla’s rise
