Rep. Lee Slams Newsom’s ‘Insulting’ Senate Caretaker Plan for Black Women

Congresswoman Barbara Lee of California believes that Governor Gavin Newsom’s suggestion to name an appointed senator is an insult to Black women.

The proposal, put forward by Newsom last month, called for an appointment to temporarily fill the senate seat of the late Senator Kamala Harris until the results of a special election next year. Governor Newsom put forth 30 potential candidates, all of whom are White and male, citing the need to quickly fill the position, but Lee believes the proposal is a missed opportunity to diversify the senate.

“It is insulting that a pool of 30 potential caretakers to fill Senator Kamala Harris’s seat is entirely white and male,” Lee said in a statement. “This type of decision-making is not reflective of the diverse state of California that elected Harris in the first place.”

Lee then proposed a list of 15 worthy candidates, all of whom were qualified, Black women. She hopes that this list will encourage Newsom to reconsider his decision and appoint a more representative caretaker of Harris’s seat.

“I am appalled that Governor Newsom would suggest an appointee that is not representative of the diversity of our state,” Lee said. “We have plenty of qualified, capable Black women in our state who would be the perfect caretaker for this seat. We should prioritize them.”

Lee’s push to appoint a Black woman to the Senate reflects a growing movement to ensure equitable representation in the nation’s highest legislative body. This year has seen a record number of Black women running for Congress, and Lee hopes that by the end of 2021, the Senate will have expanded to include several Black women legislators. With Harris gone, Lee knows that having a Black woman in the California Senate seat is even more important than ever.