Gavin Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Dianne Feinstein’s seat became open. Butler will be the only Black woman currently serving—and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California—in the Senate.
Laphonza Butler, president of EMILY’s List, speaks during an event in Washington, D.C., on June 23, 2023.LOS ANGELES — California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday selected Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, to fill the vacant U.S. Senate seat held by the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Newsom said in a statement that the priorities Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence — were under assault in the nation."Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” he said.Butler leads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights.
Emily's List is known as a fundraising powerhouse, and raising huge sums of campaign cash is a must in any statewide California race. Newsom's statement said she will step down from the organization. Butler currently lives in Maryland, according to her Emily's List biography. Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Newsom, said Butler owns a home in California. She is expected to reregister to vote in California before being sworn in. That could happen as early as Tuesday evening when the Senate returns to session.Democrats control the Senate 51-49, though Feinstein’s seat is vacant.
She called Feinstein “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country,” in a statement posted after Feinstein's death.
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