Gov. Gavin Newsom’s choice of Alex Padilla to replace Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.) may force the Senate to take a critical look at a controversial $35 million contract awarded by the California Secretary of State to a firm with deep ties to three Democratic presidential nominees. Padilla awarded the contract to SKDKnickerbocker (SKDK), the Washington, D.C.-based public-relations and political strategy firm in August as part of the state’s program of providing mail-in ballots to all of the state’s 22 million voters. The purpose of the program, known as “Vote Safe California,” is reportedly to “produce advertising to encourage voters to participate in the November election.” The program was partially funded with money provided by the $2.2 trillion “Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act of 2020” (CARES Act) approved by Congress and signed into law in March by President Donald Trump. It is illegal to use CARES Act funds in get-out-the-vote campaign …