California Rep. Barbara Lee expressed her displeasure on Sunday after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would keep his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Sen. Diane Feinstein can’t serve her full term, but only on an interim basis and only if they were not going to compete in the next election. It was the first time the governor has explicitly detailed the latter half of his plan.

Lee, who is running to replace Feinstein and is the only Black woman in the race, said in a statement that "the idea that a Black woman should be appointed only as a caretaker to simply check a box is insulting to countless Black women across this country who have carried the Democratic Party to victory election after election."

What You Need To Know

  • California Rep. Barbara Lee expressed her displeasure after Gov. Gavin Newsom said he would keep his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Sen. Diane Feinstein can’t serve her full term, but only on an interim basis and only if they were not going to compete in the next election

  • “Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table," said Lee, who is the only Black woman running to replace Feinstein in 2024

  • After Vice President Kamala Harris' departure in 2021, the Senate has lacked any Black women. In her statement, Lee noted only two Black woman have served in the Senate since its inception in 1789 and their tenures only spanned 10 years combined

  • In a poll, 51% of Californians — including 64% of Democrats in the heavily blue state — said they would prefer Newsom to appoint “someone prepared to run for a full term in 2024.” Only 25% of those surveyed said they wanted an interim appointee who wouldn’t run for the seat

The California governor revealed his strategy on NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” saying he doesn’t want to tip the scales for any of the candidates vying to replace Feinstein next year. The 90-year-old, six-term senator said she won’t run for another term amid recent health issues and questions about her ability to continue to serve effectively.

“I don’t want to get involved in the primary,” Newsom said. “It would be unfair to the Democrats that have worked their tail off. That primary is just a matter of months away. I don’t want to tip the balance of that.”

Previously, Newsom had said he would appoint a Black woman if the seat opened up before the 2024 elections. Lee was tied for third in a UC-Berkeley/LA Times poll released this week — trailing her fellow House Democrats Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter.

Representatives for Feinstein, Schiff and Porter did not return requests for comment.

There have been no Black women in the Senate since Kamala Harris' departure in 2021 to serve as vice president, the Senate has lacked any Black women. In her statement, Lee noted only two Black woman have served in the Senate since its inception in 1789 and their tenures only spanned 10 years combined.

"The perspective of Black women in the U.S. Senate is sorely needed — and needed for more than a few months. Governor Newsom knows this, which is why he made the pledge in the first place," Lee said. "“If the Governor intends to keep his promise and appoint a Black woman to the Senate, the people of California deserve the best possible person for that job. Not a token appointment."

“Black women deserve more than a participation trophy. We need a seat at the table," she added.

In the recent poll, 51% of Californians — including 64% of Democrats in the heavily blue state — said they would prefer Newsom to appoint “someone prepared to run for a full term in 2024.” Only 25% of those surveyed said they wanted an interim appointee who wouldn’t run for the seat.

“​​I don't want to make another appointment. I don't think the people of California want me to make another appointment,” he said.

California’s other U.S. Senator, Alex Padilla, was appointed by Newsom to replace Harris in 2021 and was elected to a full term in 2022. Advocates urged Newsom to appoint a Black woman to replace her, which resulted in the California Democrat making a promise to do so after appointing Padilla, the first Latino senator to represent California and only one of 11 in U.S. history. On Sunday, Newsom reupped his pledge.

"I abide by what I’ve said very publicly," he said Sunday.

“We hope we never have to make this decision, but I abide by what I've said very publicly on a consistent basis,” the governor said.

He also said he has no interest in running for the Senate seat himself in 2024.

Newsom admitted on Sunday he “has no objectivity whatsoever” when it comes to Feinstein, who he said he believed was capable of serving out the rest of his term. The governor said he’s known Feinstein “since I was a kid” and interned for her in college.

“I’m the most subjective human being in the world on this topic. I have no objectivity whatsoever,” Newsom said. “I’m the last person to ask.”

“Her staff is still extraordinarily active and we wish her only the best,” he added.

The governor admitted the senator might not be attending town halls and other public events, but wouldn’t say if the largest state in the union was losing out on sufficient representation because of Feinstein’s decreased activity.

Feinstein was hospitalized in February with shingles — missing months of votes — and returned to the hospital again briefly last month after a fall in her San Francisco home. Recent gaffes in committee hearings and forgetful responses to the press in Washington have sparked debate within her own party over her cognitive abilities and whether she should continue to serve.

The California Senate primary is nonpartisan, meaning all candidates compete against each other regardless of party affiliation. It’s scheduled for March 5, 2023.