The jockeying for Dianne Feinstein’s seat has already begun

Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s death set off a frantic round of behind-the-scenes jockeying Friday morning as Gov. Gavin Newsom considers who he will appoint to temporarily fill her seat.

Behind a thin veneer of respect for the Feinstein family, a contest for power began instantly. Within minutes of the news breaking, one Newsom confidante was contacted by someone making a pitch for a potential appointment. The confidante, who was granted anonymity to discuss private conversations, declined to name the person who made the inquiry.

The appointment process is being handled by Newsom and a small group of top staff in the governor’s office as many of his advisers and aides have conflicts given their work for candidates like House members Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee and super PACs connected to the 2024 Senate race. Some of the potential appointees are also clients of the same powerhouse political firm Newsom uses, Bearstar Strategies, including Bay Area Rapid Transit board member and House candidate Lateefah Simon and state controller Malia Cohen.

Newsom has committed to selecting a Black woman but said he would choose a short-term replacement rather than elevate one of the candidates running to replace Feinstein. That creates a complicated political calculation: Newsom must find a candidate who is both qualified for the job but would also be satisfied with a brief tenure and willing to give up any current elected position.

Two of California’s most prominent Black women officeholders are busy running major cities.

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass is less than a year into her first term after prevailing in a bruising and expensive mayoral contest and had emphatically denied interest in a Senate earlier this year. San Francisco Mayor London Breed is also focused on her city, said a person familiar with her thinking, as she works to allay homelessness and property crime while building toward a reelection bid.

Some political insiders floated Simon, who is running to succeed Lee, as a contender. But Simon is poised to possibly serve for years in the House after consolidating Democratic support for her congressional race.

Others speculated that California’s Secretary of State Shirley Weber could be in the running. Newsom appointed Weber, a widely respected former state Assembly member from San Diego, to her current position overseeing elections. Weber won a full term in 2022 and is eligible to serve through 2030.

Los Angeles County Supervisor Holly Mitchell said in an interview that she was flattered to be considered but was focused on a county of 10 million people, citing “tons of critical work to do here.”

Linda Darling-Hammond, the first Black woman to lead the California Board of Education, was quick to dismiss the notion that she would be considered.

"No way would I be among the names to replace Dianne Feinstein," she said Friday. "I'm here doing the State Board work for the governor. That's what I'm doing. I'm not doing anything else."

And Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA) said she had no interest in a Senate appointment — although she said she'd support Newsom choosing Lee.

"He made a commitment," Waters said, referencing Newsom's pledge to choose a Black woman, "and I expect him to keep the commitment."

Nicholas Wu contributed reporting.