SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by Sen. Dianne Feinstein's death.
In choosing Butler on Sunday, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black woman if Feinstein’s seat became open.
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 [and] continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.,” he said.
Butler's background is as a Democratic strategist and labor union leader.
Here's what else you need to know about Butler:
- Once seated she would be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate.
- She would be the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the U.S. Senate.
- Butler is the president of Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic women candidates who favor abortion rights.
- She is a former leader with SEIU 2015, which represents home-care workers in California.
- 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.
- She could be sworn in as early as Tuesday evening when the Senate returns to session.
- Butler was an adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign.
- She was a member of the University of California Board of Regents from 2018-2021.
- She was a partner at SCRB Strategies, a political consulting firm that works with Newsom.
- Butler is 44 years old and was born in Magnolia, Mississippi.
- She graduated from Jackson State University.
- Butler is married to Neneki Lee. They have a daughter.
According to her Emily's List biography:
- She worked for Airbnb as its direct public policy and public policy for North America.
- She was elected to the SEIU Local 215 position when she was 30 years old.
- She was on the board of directors for the Children’s Defense Fund and BLACK PAC.
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.
Hear Butler for yourself:
This spring Butler addressed the 2023 We Are EMILY National Gala. Here's her message to the group's supporters:
Who she is replacing:
The long-serving Feinstein died Thursday at age 90 after a series of illnesses. Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman in the Senate, said in February she would not seek reelection in 2024.
Feinstein was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state — including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control — but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought a middle ground.
Feinstein's bipartisan efforts helped her notch legislative wins throughout her career. But it also proved to be a liability in her later years in Congress, as her state became more liberal and as the Senate and the electorate became increasingly polarized.
