Fourteen Appointed CA US Senators since 1859

California is one of 37 states which allows for the departure of a Senator to be temporarily filled by gubernatorial appointment

Fourteen California US Senators, in the history of the State, were appointed by the Governor. Some of the most interesting paths following the appointments include:

• Henry Haun(D) on 11/3/1859 upon death of Senator Broderick(D)
• The seat was vacant for 46 days, due to the death, during a duel, of Senator Broderick(D). Haun remained a Senator until the election, which he lost, March 4, 1860, to Milton Latham. Ironically Mr. Haun died 3 months later after returning from DC, "stricken down with a congestive chill on Monday evening last, and lingered until his death Wednesday."
• George Hearst(D) on 3/6/1886 upon death of Senator Williams(R)
• The seat was vacant for 14 days, due to the death of Senator Williams while in DC. Hearst had previously unsuccessfully run for Governor. He did not run in the August 1886 special but ran for the full term in 1887. He was the father of publisher William Randolph Hearst and original purchaser of the San Simeon acreage, now home of Hearst Castle.
• George C. Perkins (R) on 7/26/1893 upon death of Senator Stanford
  • The seat was vacant for 24 hours, due to the death of Senator Standford. Both Perkins & Stanford had first served as Governor of California. Stanford was the last to serve only two years. He was elected a Senator twenty years later. Whereas, Perkins was elected to serve three years (1880-1883) as Governor, under the new 1879 Constitution. Ten years later he was appointed Senator.
• Richard Nixon (R) on 12/1/1950 upon resignation of Senator Sheridan Downey.(D)
  
  • The seat was vacant for 24 hours. Sheridan Downey had served two terms and chose not to continue his run for a third term. He instead threw his support AGAINST a fellow Democrat after the primary; in favor of Richard Nixon who had garnered 20% of Democrat vote in an open-primary similar to now. Nixon resigned two-years into his term to become Vice-President.
• Alex Padilla (D) on 1/18/21 upon Resignation of Senator Kamala Harris
  • The seat was vacant for <24 hours. California's junior US Senator, Kamala Harris was a San Francisco D.A. then CA Attorney General before being elected to the Senate & then selected as a running mate for VP Joe Biden. Her resignation, three years into her term created a path for Alex Padilla to become Senator. 

The 17th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution outlines various aspects of the States representation in Washington DC

• Two Senators - succinctly a number, not a percentage of the population, nor a reflection of partisan control in any other elected position of the state, nor a gender (!), or having been born in the U.S.!
• Electoral representation (which is the path to selection of the President under a Republic form of government)
• Vacancy of the State Senate
• "the executive authority of such State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies"
• Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancy.

 AB1495 bounced back and forth between the Governor and Secretary of State the determination of a special election....

Related article:  Will Another CA U.S. Senator Originate From the SFV? | San Fernando Valley News Portal (town.news)

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