Community leaders urge Governor Newsom to appoint a Latino to fill soon vacant U.S. Senate Seat

A U.S. Senate seat for California will be vacated by Senator Kamala Harris come January 2021. A coalition of officials are calling on Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a Latina or Latino to fill the vacancy by hosting press conferences across the state Monday morning. 

Latino leaders say since California became the 31st state in 1850, there has never been a Latino to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Latinos now represent nearly 40 percent of the state’s population -- and Latino leaders participating say now is the time for Governor Newsom to act. 

Dozens of Latino leaders will gather on Monday at press conferences in Sacramento, Fresno, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Jose. Organizers say there is no shortage of highly qualified candidates for Governor Newsom to choose from. 

The 17th amendment to the U.S. Constitution empowers state governors to appoint people to fill vacancies in the U.S. Senate. This has happened five times in California so far. 

SACRAMENTO: 11:00AM on Monday 11/16/20 at Cesar Chavez Plaza, across City Hall,   910 I Street, Sacramento, CA 95814

• Assemblymember Robert Rivas, Vice-Chair of the CA Latino Legislative Caucus
• Assemblymember Susan Talamantes Eggman
• Assemblyember Lorena Gonzalez
• Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna
• Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra (SPANISH)
• Jaqueline Martinez Garcel, California Latino Community Foundation Executive Director
• Jorge Pacheco, President of Latino School Boards Assn
• Vanessa Cajina, HOPE Board Member (TENTATIVE)
• Jose Carmona, Unidos US representative
• Norma Alcala, Chicano Latino Caucus of CA Dem Party representative

FRESNO: 11:00AM on Wednesday 11/18/20 at Fresno City Hall, Front Side, 2600 Fresno Street, Fresno, CA 93721

• Esmeralda Soria & Miguel Arias, Fresno Councilmembers & League of CA Cities Latino Caucus
• Assemblymember Joaquin Arambula, Latino Legislative Caucus
• Luis Alejo, Monterey County Supervisor, Latino Caucus of Counties & rep from Central Coast
• Marisela Gutierrez, SIREN Executive Director (SPANISH)
• Samuel Molina, Mi Familia Vota CA State Director
• Erica Cabrera, HOPE Board Member
• Pablo Rodriguez, Communities for a New California Executive Director
• Rey Leon, Huron Mayor and Central Valley LEAP Institute Executive Director
• Adriana Saldivar, CA Latino Community Foundation Executive Director

SAN DIEGO: 11:00AM on Thursday 11/19/20 at Cesar Chavez Park, San Diego Bay, Cesar E. Chavez Parkway, San Diego, CA 92101

• Congressman Juan Vargas
• Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez
• Former San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez & Latino Equity Council Director
• Others: Speakers being organized by former San Diego Councilman Alvarez

LOS ANGELES: 11:00AM on Friday 11/20/20 at LA City Hall, West Steps, 200 N. Spring Street, Los Angeles, CA 90012

• CA Latino Legislative Caucus Chair Maria Elena Durazo
• Assemblymember Miguel Santiago 
• Los Angeles Councilmember & Council President Nury Martinez (TENTATIVE)
• Riverside County Supervisor V. Manuel Perez, VP of Latino Caucus of CA Counties
• Angelica Salas, CHIRLA Executive Director (SPANISH)
• Arturo Vargas, NALEO Executive Director 
• Jose Barrera, California LULAC Deputy Director
• Rosie Arroyo, HOPE Board Chair
  

SAN JOSE: 11:00AM on Monday 11/23/20 at Mexican Heritage Plaza, 1700 Alum Rock Ave, San Jose, CA 95116

• SJ City Councilmember Magdalena Carrasco
• Others: Speakers being organized by Councilmember Carrasco

The press conferences are being organized by the California Latino Legislative Caucus, Latino Caucus of California Counties, League of California Cities Latino Caucus, Chicano Latino Caucus of the California Democratic Party, California Latino School Boards Association, NALEO, Unidos US, California LULAC, Latino Community Foundation, Mi Familia Vota, Communities for New California, SIREN, CHIRLA, Hispanas Organized for Political Equality (HOPE), United Latinos Sacramento, Central Valley Latino Roundtable, Latino Equity Council (San Diego), Latino Leadership Alliance, Central Valley LEAP Institute and Central Coast Citizenship Project VOTA, along with Latino elected officials and individual community leaders.