California
5. Alex Padilla
Padilla is no stranger to political campaigning as he has served as the Democratic campaign manager for Assemblyman Tony Cárdenas, Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, and State Senator Richard Alarcon between 1996 and 1998, successfully helping all three win their elections.
After then-Senator Kamala Harris was elected Vice President of the United States, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Padilla to the seat she vacated. He would also win an election for a full six-year term by beating Republican nominee Mark Meuse, making him the first Mexican American and Hispanic senator from California.
6. Shirley Weber
After Padilla succeeded Kamala Harris, Weber would succeed Padilla after Governor Gavin Newsom appointed the highly respected academic and former state assemblywoman to the position of California’s secretary of state. After winning her election in the midterms, she became California’s first elected Black secretary of state of state.
