All Eyes on Gov. Newsom Over Appointment of Sen. Feinstein’s Successor

California Secretary of State Shirley Weber, who’s black and a Democrat, is seen as a likely choice.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom speaks onstage during the Clinton Global Initiative September 2023 Meeting at the New York Hilton Midtown in New York City on Sept. 18, 2023. Noam Galai/Getty Images for Clinton Global Initiative

The death of longtime Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) on Sept. 29 has put a spotlight on California Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor to the longest-serving female senator and the longest-serving senator in U.S. and California history.

Ms. Feinstein, who was 90, died at her home in Washington on Sept. 28, her chief of staff, James Sauls, said in a statement. She was elected to the Senate in 1992, having previously served as mayor of San Francisco and president of the city’s board of supervisors.