Rep. Ayanna Pressley tells Gavin Newsom to appoint a Black woman to VP-elect Kamala Harris' Senate seat

close

Video

BLM demands Calif. Gov to appoint Black woman to fill Harris' Senate seat

Independent Women's Forum senior policy analyst Patrice Onwuka with reaction to the BLM demand on 'Fox & Friends First.'

Massachusetts Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley called on California Gov. Gavin Newsom in a tweet Tuesday to appoint a Black woman to replace Vice President-elect Kamala Harris in the Senate. 

"We absolutely cannot go backwards," Pressley tweeted Tuesday. "With the election of@KamalaHarris to VP-elect, @CAgovernor must prioritize this leadership, perspective & representation in the vacated U.S. Senate seat & appoint a Black woman."

Pressley recommended California Reps. Karen Bass and Barbara Lee for the job, calling them "seasoned policymakers."

KAREN BASS WANTS AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMAN TO REPLACE KAMALA HARRIS IN THE SENATE

The call for a Black woman like Bass or Lee to fill the seat has been echoed by California's biggest political donors, Black Lives Matter, Latino and Black leaders and even Bass herself.

Bass cited the importance of the decision in an interview with FOX 11 earlier this month, noting that there will be no Black women in the Senate after Harris' departure. 

"I will tell you that I do believe that there should be an African American woman in the Congress,” Bass said. "When Sen. Harris is sworn in as the vice president, there will be one African American Democrat, one African American Republican, no African American women.”

Congresswoman Karen Bass, D-Calif.

Bass has said she's open to the position.

"I have a fabulous job right now. I hear my name being put out for a lot of different things, and if called upon to serve, I'll be there ready to serve," she said, later adding, “if I had the honor, we’ll see.”

She also concurred when asked if Newsom should choose a Hispanic politician to replace Harris because of the state's significant Hispanic population. 

“I agree with that 100%. I think that is absolutely correct, and I think that that should happen. We will see," she said.

Congresswoman Barbara Lee, D-Calif. 

Meanwhile, when asked in a November interview with Capital Public Radio KXJZ on the possibility of filling Harris' seat, Lee said: "Certainly, it would be an honor."

However, she added that she believes Newsom "really, through this process, knows exactly who he thinks will best represent California and best represent the agenda of which Senator Harris has put forth in the Senate."

FRONTRUNNERS FOR KAMALA HARRIS SENATE SEAT PRAISED FIDEL CASTRO 

While the race to fill Harris' seat is underway, Newsom has so far kept quiet about potential contenders.

FILE - In this Sept. 23, 2020, file photo, California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks at a news conference at Cal Expo in Sacramento, Calif. (Daniel Kim/The Sacramento Bee via AP, Pool, File)

“No timeline has been established. The process is just beginning to unfold,” Newsom, a Democrat, said during a November press conference. “We are working through the cattle call of considerations related to what’s the profile, the right choice to replace Sen. Harris.”

California law allows the governor to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of Harris' term -- which runs until January 3, 2023 -- once she officially resigns to become vice president. Speculation has been swirling for months over who Newsom will select.

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

According to The Hill, two leading contenders to replace Harris are Attorney General Xavier Becerra and Secretary of State Alex Padilla, both Democrats. However, Becerra has been selected by President-elect Joe Biden to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.

Other potential candidates besides Bass and Lee reportedly include almost every one of California's executive officials, including Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Controller Betty Yee and Treasurer Fiona Ma, according to sources close to Newsom.

Justice Democrats, a far-left PAC aligned with Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has also pushed for Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., to fill the seat. 

A representative for Newsom did not immediately return FOX News' request for comment. 

Fox News' Peter Hasson, Louis Casiano, Evie Fordham and Megan Henney contributed to this report.