California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s woke credentials took a hit in the eyes of San Francisco Mayor London Breed for his pick to replace Vice President-elect Kamala D. Harris’s vacant Senate seat.
Ms. Breed lamented her liberal peer’s decision not to do a one-for-one racial and gender swap.
Secretary of State Alex Padilla was picked for the role. Progressives who cheered the move did so since he would be the first Latino to represent the state in the Senate.
“It’s an unfortunate situation as we are trying to move this country forward, and making sure that Black lives truly matter and that African Americans have a seat at the table — especially African American women,” Ms. Breed told a local ABC affiliate.
The Democrat was so befuddled by Mr. Newsom’s decision that she said it was difficult to articulate her feelings.
“This is a real blow to the African American community, to African American women, to women in general,” she said. “It’s really challenging to put it into words, but it was definitely a surprise.”
Mr. Padilla took the high road and avoided controversy in response to the news.
“I’m honored, and I’m humbled,” he said, the station reported Tuesday. “Can’t tell you how many pancakes my dad flipped or eggs he scrambled trying to provide for us, or the many, many years of my mom cleaning houses, doing the same thing. That’s why I try so hard to make sure that our democracy is as inclusive in California as we’ve built.”
• Douglas Ernst can be reached at dernst@washingtontimes.com.
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