Laphonza Butler named to fill Feinstein’s U.S. Senate seat

By James On Oct 2, 2023

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

By choosing Ms. Butler on Sunday, Mr. Newsom fulfilled his promise to appoint a black woman if Ms. Feinstein’s seat became vacant. However, he was under pressure from some black politicians and advocacy groups to choose Barbara Lee, a prominent black congresswoman who is already running for the seat.

Ms. Butler will be the only Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the House.

Mr. Newsom said in a statement that the priorities Ms. Feinstein fought for in Congress — reproductive freedom, equal protection and gun violence safety — are under attack in the country. “Laphonza will take over from Senator Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington DC,” he said.

Ms. Butler heads Emily’s List, a political organization that supports Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights. She is also a former union leader at SEIU 2015, a powerful force in California politics.

Her appointment poses a potentially difficult political balancing act in the busy battle to succeed Ms Feinstein in 2024, which has been going on since the start of the year.

Mr. Newsom’s spokesman, Anthony York, said the governor has not asked Ms. Butler to commit to staying out of the race. The deadline for candidates to submit paperwork to obtain the position is December 8. Should Ms. Butler enter the race, she could create a contest for California’s relatively small but influential group of black voters and potentially undermine Ms. Lee’s chances.

Emily’s List is known as a fundraising powerhouse, and raising massive amounts of campaign cash is a must in any California race. Mr. Newsom’s statement said she will leave the organization.

The decision brought the threat of political fallout for Mr. Newsom, who is seen as a potential future national candidate. The candidate favored by black voters has won the Democratic Party’s presidential nomination every cycle since 1992. The Congressional Black Caucus was among the groups and black politicians who had urged Mr. Newsom to appoint Ms. Lee, calling her the best-qualified choice for the post. .

Mrs. Feinstein died on September 28, 2023 at the age of 90.

Ms. Butler currently lives in Maryland, according to her Emily’s List biography. Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Mr. Newsom, said Ms. Butler owns a home in California. She is expected to reregister to vote in California before she is sworn in. That could happen as early as October 3, when the Senate reconvenes.

Ms. Butler did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment or issue a statement.

Democrats control the Senate 51-49, although Ms. Feinstein’s seat is vacant. A quick nomination by Mr. Newsom will give the Democratic caucus more leeway on tight votes, including nominations that Republicans unanimously oppose.

Ms. Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman in the Senate, said in February that she would not seek re-election in 2024. Ms. Lee is one of several prominent Democrats vying for the seat, including Democratic U.S. Rep. Katie. Porter and Adam Schiff. Mr. Newsom said he did not want to appoint any of the candidates because it would give them an unfair advantage in the race.

Ms. Butler has never held elected office but has a long record of service in California politics. She was a senior adviser to Ms. Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign while working at a political firm full of strategists who have worked for Mr. Newsom and many other prominent state Democrats. She also worked briefly in the private sector for Airbnb.

She called Ms. Feinstein “a legendary figure for women in politics and across the country,” in a statement she posted after Ms. Feinstein’s death.

Emily’s List, the group Ms. Butler leads, focuses on electing Democratic women who support abortion rights. With the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2022 decision to overturn women’s constitutional right to abortion, the issue has galvanized many Democrats.

Equality California, the nation’s largest LGBTQ+ civil rights organization, said the appointment “will give our community a new voice in Congress at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack across the country.”