Gavin Newsom wanted to stay out of primary election fray. He failed spectacularly | Opinion
Gov. Gavin Newsom didn’t just offend Black women when he confirmed in a nationally televised interview that he would appoint a “caretaker,” rather than a current candidate, to fill Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat should the need arise.
Appointing a candidate “would be completely unfair to Democrats that had worked their tail off,” Newsom said in an interview that aired on Sunday’s Meet the Press.
In assuming that appointing a candidate would all but guarantee that person’s election, Newsom also insulted voters by underestimating their ability to make their own choices in the voting booth.
As if Democratic voters are so politically unsophisticated that they will automatically mark their ballots for anyone with “appointed incumbent” by their name.
Newsom reaffirmed that he will make good on his promise to appoint a Black woman to fill out Feinstein’s term — as he should.
But now the appointee can’t actually be interested in serving a term in the Senate — only in keeping the seat warm for someone else.
Under Newsom’s new criterion, Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee — the only Black woman running for Feinstein’s Senate seat — would not be eligible for the appointment, even though she is well qualified for the job.
Under the circumstances, the governor may have a tough time finding another Black woman willing to accept the appointment.
The power of incumbency
An appointed incumbent would have some advantage in the 2024 election. At least, it’s worked that way in the past.
When Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to replace Vice President Kamala Harris in 2022, for example, Padilla was easily elected to a full term in 2022. But in that case, there were no strong Democratic challengers.
This situation is different. Due to the timing, a campaign for Feinstein’s seat is already underway. Funds have been raised, endorsements made and, while polls show there are still many undecided voters, clear preferences have emerged. Two Democrats, Rep. Adam Schiff and Rep. Katie Porter have been out in front, with Lee trailing several percentage points behind.
The most recent LA Times/UC Berkeley poll has Schiff at 20%, Porter at 17% and Lee at 7%. Two Republicans, former Dodger player Steve Garvey, who has expressed interest but has not announced, and James Bradley also each polled at 7%.
Sure, Lee would have an edge if she were appointed, but it would still be a highly competitive race. Not only would Lee have to win over Schiff and Porter supporters, but she also would have to convince voters that, at 77, her age would not be an issue.
Given Feinstein’s condition — she is 90, ailing, and has seemed disoriented on several occasions — that’s been top of mind with many voters.
And if Lee’s appointment were to cause voters to give her a closer look, would that be a bad thing?
Newsom’s idea all along has been to give an African American woman the power of incumbency with an appointment to fill a Feinstein vacancy. How has that changed simply because two white candidates are now running against an extremely qualified woman in Barbara Lee? Isn’t he in the perfect position to make good on his pledge?
What’s next for Newsom?
The governor may have believed that he avoided a pitfall with his refusal to appoint any current candidate to replace Feinstein.
“I don’t want to get involved in the primary,” he said on Meet the Press.
It’s true that appointing either Schiff or Porter would cause major strife within the Democratic party — not to mention break the governor’s commitment to appoint a Black woman.
But in denying the seat to Lee, he miscalculated how that would be received.
A tweet from Lee said it all: “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.”
Efforts to walk it back — a Newsom adviser called it a “hypothetical on top of a hypothetical“ — haven’t helped.
To the many Californians who have been following reports on Feinstein’s condition, a need to replace her seems a strong possibility — not just a hypothetical.
If he does have to make an appointment, here’s what Newsom should do: Appoint the best-qualified Black woman. If that’s Barbara Lee, the seat should be hers.
Let the voters decide whether it should be hers to keep.
This story was originally published September 12, 2023 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Gavin Newsom wanted to stay out of primary election fray. He failed spectacularly | Opinion."
