California Gov. Gavin Newsom made one of the most questionable decisions in modern American politics this week by selecting a supremely unqualified person who is not a resident of the state to replace Sen. Diane Feinstein who passed away on September 29. While it is highly likely that Newsom’s pick will serve out the remainder of the term held by Feinstein, what happens in the next election is up for grabs.
What are Meghan Markles qualifications to be Senator? She appears self absorbed & has no experience in Government policy. Does anyone think she’s qualified?https://t.co/WYc44lGnkI
— David Musiker (@DavidMusiker) October 2, 2023
Hoping to capture some of her star power, Meghan Markle, the Duchess of Sussex, is believed to be courting Democrat decision-makers in the Golden State with the possible goal of running for election in 2024. Feinstein had previously said that she would not seek reelection and a number of prominent Democrats and Republicans have already begun the process of gearing up for the election cycle.
Markle is the latest to show signs of throwing her hat in the ring to replace the 90-year-old Democrat who spent the last 31 years representing liberals in the state. According to sources with Daily Mail, a U.K.-based tabloid, donor interest in seeing Markle run for the vacant seat has been increasing since Feinstein’s death last week. Markle had been floated as a possible candidate to replace Vice President Kamala Harris who was a U.S. Senator from California before joining the Biden campaign in 2020.
Markle uses her influence as a popular actress and the wife of Prince Harry, the Duke of Sussex, to promote liberal agenda items, including strict gun control regulations and paid leave for parents. She has numerous ties to the California Democratic committee through her acting career and social standing in Los Angeles as a Duchess but does not have any actual leadership experience or history of being elected to an office.
Several Democrats that have indicated an intention to take over the seat Feinstein vacated include Rep. Katie Porter who declared her intent to run even before Feinstein announced she would not seek reelection, Rep. Adam Schiff, Rep. Barbara Lee. Only Lee is a person of color, an attribute that Democrats have signaled is more important than leadership experience or past results. Markle is likely to fall flat given that she is not only White but rich and a Duchess to boot.
California is a Democrat-captured state, a reality for the few conservatives that continue to eke out a living while constantly being crushed with liberal agendas. No Republican has held state-wide office in California since 2006 and the chance that any Republican could get elected is an even longer shot than Markle winning the Senate seat. Democrats outnumber Republicans about 2-to-1 and have a much better-funded political party with extensive ties to media and big tech that ensure the party maintains its super-majority in the state.
Markle would not be the first resident of the state to turn her star power into political control. The most recent Republican to win statewide election was former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Of course, the most famous California actor-turned-politician was former President Ronald Reagan, who leveraged his cowboy western movie persona into one of the most successful political campaigns of all time.
