Newsom picks Black lesbian, Laphonza Butler, a Maryland resident, to fill Feinstein's CA senate seat
Newsom picks Black lesbian, Laphonza Butler, a Maryland resident, to fill Feinstein's CA senate seat
On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY's List, to fill the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein.
Feinstein was the oldest member of the Senate, the longest-serving female senator from 1992 to 2023. She died September 29, 2023.
"Laphonza has spent her entire career fighting for women and girls and has been a fierce advocate for working people.She will make history -- becoming the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Senate", Newsom wrote in a post on (formerly Twitter)
Butler is a Democratic strategist who rose to prominence in the labor movement. She previously served as an advisor to Kamala Harris' presidential campaign and as the executive director of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) California.
Prior to joining EMILYs List, Butler served as Director of Public Policy and Campaigns in North America for Airbnb. She also was a partner at SCRB Strategies, a political consulting firm where she was a strategist for candidates running up and down the ballot.-Emilys List
Butler's appointment will take effect immediately. She will serve in the Senate until the next regularly scheduled election in November 2024.
According to her bio "Butler has been a member of the University of California Board of Regents and a member of the board of directors for the Children’s Defense Fund and BLACK PAC. Laphonza grew up in Magnolia, MS, and attended one of the country’s premier HBCUs, Jackson State University".
Butler's appointment is notable because she does not currently live in California. She resides in Maryland, but she owns a home in California and will switch her voter registration per a NBC News report..
Black Political Opinion: Laphonza Butler Replacing Feinstein's Senate Seat
It should be someone who lives here currently who will townhall and is connected to the current California experience. Represent us not the party line and your own interests.. Our entire Government is a mess and so is California thanks to @GavinNewsom