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California’s First Latino Senator, Alex Padilla, Takes The Oath Of Office

By Libby Denkmann
Published Jan 20, 2021 2:17 PM
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Vice President Kamala Harris administers the oath of office to (left-to-right) Senators Raphael Warnock, Alex Padilla and Jon Ossoff on Jan. 20, 2020. (Screenshot via CSPAN 2 livestream
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Alex Padilla has taken the oath of office and now officially begins his duty representing California as its first Latino U.S. Senator.

He was joined by new senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, who both won runoff elections in Georgia this month against Republican incumbents.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who resigned from the Senate this week ahead of the inauguration, administered the oath. She joked as she began the proceedings that it felt "pretty weird" to be swearing in her successor, Padilla.

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Padilla is a former Los Angeles City Council President and state legislator, and most recently served as Califoria's Secretary of State. He is serving out the remainder of Harris' term, which extends through 2022.

Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Padilla to the seat, despite pressure to appoint a Black woman to replace Harris.

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