to appoint her successor. Organizations involved in a public effort to influence Newsom's decision told"Never in the 170-year history of California has there been a Latino or Latina representing the state in the U.S. Senate," said Arturo Vargas, the CEO of the National Association of Latino Elected and Appointed Officials.
"As the director of CHIRLA, I need somebody who is going to represent the hopes and dreams of our community but also be grounded in the pain and suffering of Latinos, because we have borne the brunt of enforcement," she added. "I think it's still going to be Padilla," Trujillo said, citing the secretary of state's long, methodical work in the state for years and his position as a Newsom ally.
The Latino Victory Fund, a group that works to get Latino Democrats elected, did not waste time after Harris was picked, launching its Pick Padilla website a week after Harris spoke at the Democratic National Convention.