U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when Democrats hold the slimmest majority in the chamber.
RELATED: California Gov. Newsom will pick Feinstein’s replacement. He pledged in past to choose a Black womanHere’s a look at what Feinstein’s death means for the Senate at a critical time on Capitol Hill:Before Feinstein’s death, Democrats held a 51-49 majority. They had control of 48 seats, plus three independent members who generally vote with Democrats. Until her seat is filled, Democrats will be at least one vote short of a majority as they try to advance their priorities.
It’s not immediately clear how quickly Newsom will move to pick a replacement. No timeline is set forth in state law. When then-Sen. Kamala Harris left her seat after being elected vice president in 2020, it went vacant for about two weeks until then-Secretary of State Alex Padilla was appointed by Newsom.Harris’ departure from the Senate left Black women without any representation in the Senate. Newsom was under dual pressures to name either a Black woman or Latino to replace her, and he chose Padilla, who became California’s first Latino U.S. senator.
As Feinstein’s health challenges intensified, California political chatter of potential replacements included obscure names and famous, including Oprah Winfrey. Newsom, who is seen as a potential 2028 Democratic presidential candidate, will face pressure to make good on his promise. He could choose one of the candidates running in the primary underway to replace Feinstein, though he has said he will not do that. The candidates include U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, who is Black, along with Democratic Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, who both are white.
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What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of the Senate and the looming government shutdownU.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when Democrats hold the slimmest majority in the chamber.
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What Dianne Feinstein’s death means for control of the Senate and the looming government shutdownU.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death creates a vacancy in the Senate at a time when Democrats hold the slimmest majority in the chamber
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