Oprah Winfrey.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has named media mogul Oprah Winfrey yes Senator Dianne Feinstein’s seat it is vacant amid increasingly intense health problems.
According to the Associated Press, Winfrey is one of the names Newsom is considering nominating should Feinstein willingly give up her seat.
The 89-year-old senator from California returned to Washington on May 10, after a shingles diagnosis and treatment that kept her sidelined for 10 weeks.
And while the idea of inducting a celebrity with no political experience into the high-profile seat may seem random, there may be some planning behind it. In 2021, Newsom promised to appoint a black woman to Feinstein’s position if her seat becomes vacant. The AP suggested the appointment could be more of an interim role until votes can decide on Feinstein’s replacement in 2024.
Putting a celebrity in the seat could also help Newsom avoid picking favorites among the actual Senate candidates, the AP added. U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee is currently running against Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Lee is black, and Porter and Schiff are white.
As it stands, Newsom may not even get a chance to make the appointment. Feinstein has said she has no plans to step down before her term ends in 2025. Feinstein’s office did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment.
Winfrey did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment.
In 2018, Oprah’s friends pushed her to run for president in 2020, according to CNN, but has publicly denied having presidential ambitions.
According to the AP, Newsom has considered Winfrey as a candidate if Feinstein’s health or her decision to see out her term changes.
Recent reports have raised concerns that Feinstein may not have known she had left the Senate. for nearly three months. insider”Red, white and gray project”. he noted that Congress is older than ever, with Feinstein the oldest member of Congress.
Newsom’s office did not immediately return Insider’s request for comment.
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