NBC News reported:
As California’s political class on Friday mourns the death of Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, it is also privately buzzing about what happens to her now-vacant Senate seat.
Feinstein had already announced she would not run for re-election in 2024, triggering a competitive election to select a successor. Now, her death will force Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to appoint a replacement to serve out the remainder of the term — a politically fraught decision he has been dreading having to make.
An appointment could upend California’s blockbuster Senate primary, which pits high-profile Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee against each other ahead of an all-party primary in March.
Earlier this month on “Meet the Press,” Newsom said he would make an “interim appointment” and suggested he would choose a black woman to replace Feinstein.