Despite continued — and mounting — questions about her health, Sen. Dianne Feinstein‘s office this week said she plans to finish out her term in the U.S. Senate.
But recent revelations about complications she’s suffered from her shingles diagnosis, including a brain inflammation — coupled with an exchange she had with reporters in the U.S. Capitol in which she appeared to be confused about her absence — have only underscored the possibility that those plans could, at some point, change.
At 89 years old, Feinstein is the oldest sitting U.S. senator, a trailblazer for women in politics who is back in Washington, D.C., working with a “lighter schedule” after a monthslong absence.
Her office said Thursday that she plans to finish out her term, which ends on Jan. 3, 2025.
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Should that change in the next 600 or so days, it would be up to Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a replacement — an unenviable task amid a Senate race well underway and with promises already made.
“It’s an absolute no-win situation for Newsom, one of his own making,” said Dan Schnur, a former campaign consultant who teaches political messaging at UC Berkeley and USC.
It wasn’t too long ago that Newsom had another Senate seat to fill: Kamala Harris’ when she became the vice president. The governor tapped Alex Padilla, California’s secretary of state, to fill the role in 2021, making him the first Latino to represent California in the Senate.
Shortly thereafter, Newsom was asked if he would commit to appointing a Black woman to replace Feinstein if she were to leave her seat prematurely.
He said yes.
That commitment was a “game-changer,” said Aimee Allison, founder of She the People, a national organization that supports women of color in politics.
“There’s no expectation on our end that he would not fulfill that promise, particularly if you look at the significance of this…
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