SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California’s Latino legislators said they couldn’t be happier that a Hispanic person will finally be representing California in the U.S Senate.
On Tuesday, Gov. Newsom announced that Alex Padilla will fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ seat in the U.S. Senate. Padilla is the son of Mexican immigrants and has served as California’s secretary of state since 2015.
Assemblymember Eloise Reyes, D-San Bernardino, who recently became the state’s first Latina to be Assembly Majority Leader, said Padilla’s appointment to the U.S. Senate seat is a proud moment for all Latinos in politics.
“Alex Padilla has been a long-time champion for democracy. I’m certain with the diligent work ethic, his commitment to public service, and just his strong advocacy for disadvantaged communities and for all communities. I know he’s going to make people of California so proud,” Reyes said.
Over the past few months, the Latino Caucus has been demanding the governor to choose a Latino or Latina for the Senate, and this week, their wish was finally granted.
Reyes said she’s looking forward to calling her colleague, Alex Padilla, the first Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate. In the mid-2000s, she and Padilla were both members of the Latino Caucus in the state legislature together.
“It makes us feel so proud to have members of our caucus elevated to the position that they’re being elevated to now,” Reyes added.
Assemblymember Blanca Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, is another Latina in the state legislature who’s delighted about Newsom’s Senate pick. She and her sister, Senator Susan Rubio, D-Baldwin Park, have known Padilla for more than a decade. The Assemblymember said it has been amazing to see him grow into the leader he is today.
“I'm super excited, obviously for him, but for the state of California. He's an amazing representative. He's done everything possible to help not just the Latino community, but all communities in the state of California,“ Rubio said.
Rubio adds that she and Padilla’s families share similar backgrounds; their parents both migrated from Mexico and worked as house cleaners.
“We are finally being seen. It’s no secret the population in California, the highest ethnic populations are Latinos, so we’re finally getting the representation of people that look like us,” Rubio explained.
Assemblymember Reyes agrees that Padilla is the perfect person to finally represent her community and fill Vice President-elect Kamala Harris’ seat.
“It’s history in the making, no doubt about it,” Reyes said.
The two legislators added that they can’t wait to see Padilla shine in his role and fight for all Californians as the first Latino U.S. Senator in state history.
“I can now tell my son and my daughter, you can be Senator, you can be whatever you want,” Rubio said.
Alex Padilla will serve out the rest of Kamala Harris' term and said he plans to run for re-election in 2022.