Newsom offered the offer to Padilla in a video call he released in his tweet. After the two discussed Padilla’s parents immigrating to the US, Padilla became confused when he said he would “absolutely” accept the position.
“I’m honored, man, and I feel humiliated because of them,” says Padilla.
Padilla, 47, got his start as an assistant to California Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein before serving as Los Angeles City Council president and state senator. Padilla, who has been Secretary of State since 2015, was in charge of the unprecedented task of mailing ballots to more than 22 million registered voters, leading to a record turnout this year.
A range of federal, state and local officials appeared to be in the mix for the nomination, including representatives Karen Bass, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter, Long Beach Mayor Robert Garcia, Senate President pro Tempore Toni Atkins and Lt. Governor Eleni Kounalakis. The California Legislative Black Caucus and other groups pushed for Bass and Lee to replace Harris, noting that there would be no other black women in the room next year once she left the Senate.
Padilla, a mechanical engineer graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology whose parents emigrated from Mexico, had many backers to choose, including the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and Feinstein’s BOLD PAC.
In a recent interview, Padilla told CNN that the state’s first Latino senator would be “a historic milestone,” saying that California’s “rich diversity” is certainly “one of the many considerations the governor thinks about when taking of this decision. “
“A lot of people are excited about a potential first,” he said.
Padilla told CNN he was well prepared to serve in the Senate after covering the post-9/11 LA budget, chairing a Senate Energy and Telecommunications Committee, and securing the integrity of the ballot box during a pandemic.
“There is no practical training here,” said Padilla.
Maybe his long relationship with the governor helped.
The decision comes at a pivotal time for Newsom as he faces health, economic, housing and climate crises, as well as his own political future. Both the California Governor and Padilla are eligible.
This story has been updated with additional background information.
CNN’s Veronica Stracqualursi contributed to this report.