By late Sunday, the governor’s office confirmed that his appointment to fill the seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein would be free to run for a full term in 2024.

The death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein means that Gov. Newsom has to decide who will fill her seat. He has said he would appoint a caretaker, not one of the three Democrats who are already running.

The California Democrat, the oldest member of Congress, had suffered a precipitous decline in health in recent months.

The money was included in the $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill signed Dec. 22 by President Joe Biden, ensuring funding of the military and government agencies until next September.