SACRAMENTO, Calif. (KERO) — California’s primary election is quickly approaching. On June 7th, registered California voters will gather at the polls to vote for positions like U.S. Senate, governor, secretary of state, and attorney general just to name a few.
If you’ve received your ballot, you’ve probably noticed the race for U.S. Senate is listed twice.
In 2016, Kamala Harris became the first Indian-American U.S. senator and the first Black senator to represent California serving in that position until she was sworn in as vice president of the United States last year. When the senatorial position became vacant, Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla to fill the position.
But the appointment is only temporary because, according to Cal Matters, in May 2021, the California legislature passed a law calling for a vote to take place during the regularly scheduled election this November. That is why California voters will be asked to vote twice to elect a senator: first to fill the remainder of Harris’ term, which ends in January and then to elect a senator to serve the next six years.
Twenty-three candidates are listed on the ballot hoping to be elected as the next U.S. senator to represent California for the full term, including incumbent Alex Padilla.
Meanwhile, only 8 are running for the partial term. All eight of these candidates, including Padilla, are running for both races.
If you haven’t received your ballot yet, you should contact the elections office at (661) 868-3590.
Coming up at 11 23ABC will have more from a few of the candidates running for both the full and partial term of U.S. senator and their plans to find solutions for issues impacting Californians.