The new California senator who will fill the seat vacated by Kamala Harris has been endorsed by pro-abortion and pro-LGBT groups.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) on Dec. 22 selected Alex Padilla, California Secretary of State, to fill the U.S. Senate seat of Vice President-elect Kamala Harris (D).
Padilla has served as California Secretary of State since 2015 and, before that, in the state senate from 2006 until 2014. The son of Mexican immigrants, he will be state’s first Latino senator. He hails from Los Angeles and formerly worked for Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
While in the state senate, Padilla authored a 2008 bill to bolster enforcement of the state’s pro-abortion law that criminalized certain “anti-reproductive rights” acts.
His bill, SB 1770, mandated guidelines for the training of law enforcement in “the investigation and reporting of cases involving anti-reproductive-rights crimes.”
According to Equality California, Padilla also supported the state’s 2013 bill mandating that students have access to restrooms, locker rooms, and other activities based on their gender identity, not their biological sex.
According to the National Abortion Rights Action League, Padilla also fought the state’s 2008 ballot initiative, Proposition 4, to block minors seeking abortion unless the abortionist obtained permission from their parent, legal guardian, or alternative adult family member. The initiative was defeated by California voters.
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Like it or not, Senator Harris is Vice-President elect. I find referring to her as Kamela is disrespectful.
Mikem, on September 27 you commented on an article where Cal Catholic Daily’s headline referred to “Trump” and “Barrett,” yet, you didn’t object to that as being disrespectful.
Why the sudden concern about respect?
Is the use of her first name disrespectful, while using only the President’s last name and only Justice Barrett’s last name is not?
So only liberals can be disrespected?
Anyone know if Senator-To-Be-Padilla (trying to keep mikem happy) identifies as a Catholic?
Ballotpedia says that he is Catholic
If he is Catholic and means it we will know soon enough. In the movie Becket, starring Richard Burton and Peter O’Toole, we see Becket changes from frivolous to serious the moment he is picked by King Henry II to be Archbishop of Canterbury. So there are precedents.
https://ballotpedia.org/Alex_Padilla#Biography does not mention his religion
Mikem such disrespect is par for the course for successful women of color. I pray that your comment will cause some readers to realize this.
Politicians, no matter their color or sex, are referred to on this website all the time by just their last names or their first names. When I have done it, it is usually from lack of space. I can only put in a certain amount of words, which makes it hard sometimes to be detailed enough to be accurate, let alone too polite.
I must admit, though, that I do not like most politicians and considered most of them narcissists. Some would do almost anything to make it to the top.
What is wrong with calling her by her name?
Disrespect? I didn’t hear any complaints about the mainstream left wing news media who night after night referred to Trump as Hitler, white supremacist, Nazi, fascist, racist,etc. What hypocrisy!
Actually, Kamala Harris got top billing in the title, and Alex Padilla did not. It seems me the journalist wanted to keep the two lines the same length as much as possible to be more attractive.
Maybe it’s an older generation thing. My dad used to get really angry and feel disrespected when people called him by his first name instead of Mr. Lastname.
@ Julieta – I’m curious as to why you use your first name and not your last, or both, when commenting on here? If you wanted to draw attention to the supposed disrespect shown toward “successful women of color”, then please lead the way and educate others by including your full name as a sign of such respect.
Really SO? Shall I refer to myself as Mrs. Benavides due to my long marriage, or as Dr. Benavides because of my educational level? I was adding to the discussion that women who achieve in this country are so often not taken seriously. Referring to a woman you personally don’t know by her first name but to a man by his surname represents inequality. If this is a new concept to you please ask some women you know.
With respect Julieta, I was under the impression that a person should be judged not by their ethnicity or biological sex but by the content of their character, and the application of that character in their endeavors, in this case the realm of politics. If Harris is not popular among some of us it has nothing to do with race or her success but with her actions. But you do have a point– conservative women are often not taken seriously in this country and that is a shame.
Dan you are living Dr. Martin Luther King’s dream. I applaud you. Please recognize that many Americans do not yet understand this.
Julieta, Donald Trump is often referred to by both his enemies and his friends as “the Donald”, sometimes in derision and sometimes in praise.
As Harry Truman said about politics, “If you cannot stand the heat, get out of the kitchen,” and he did not just say that to women. Much of this is all just in your perception of it, and has nothing to do with realty.
I have to laugh at all these comments. You are all thinking the worst of each as well as talking past each other.
Pardon the quote from a pagan….
“Take away thy opinion, and then there is taken away the complaint, “I have been harmed.” Take away the complaint, “I have been harmed,” and the harm is taken away.”
― Marcus Aurelius, The Meditations of Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius was a fairly decent pagan in many ways and had some good sayings, but he, too did not always follow his own advice. It is reported that he persecuted Christians, because he thought they actually killed and ate a man when they referred to eating “the Body and Blood of Christ”, which was, of course, in an unbloody manner. Evidently he listened to his advisors without actually talking to any Christians themselves. A lesson for us all.
Great virtue signaling! Congrats!
Was Marcus Aurelius abusive, by any chance?
@ Julieta – I am always taken aback by good people who become insulted so easily by those with no guile intended. Take the headline, for example. Harris is a very common last name and its use could confuse readers, i.e., “Harris, who?”. Kamala, on the other hand, is a name that is now instantly recognizable and its use in this headline seems quite appropriate. I was more interested in the content of the article than scrutinizing the headline for insults to the female gender.
I’d say Ms. Harris’ portfolio creates more of a lack of esteem than using her first name does…but whatever…these are not the droids you’re looking for….
Great job distracting from the issues.
Why, Kamala Harris will be sitting in her old seat. The election is not over.