Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY's List, will be appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to occupy the late Democratic Senator Dianne Feinstein's Senate vacancy, his office confirmed Sunday evening.
Butler will become the only Black woman in Congress and the third in the United States. Feinstein, the longest-serving woman senator in US history, passed away last week at the age of 90.
California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Appoint Laphoza Butler
The selection of Butler, first reported by Politico, comes at a time when Democrats hold a narrow Senate majority and ambiguity looms over the political future of New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez in the wake of his colleagues' outrage over his federal indictment.
Butler has served as the president of EMILY's List, an organization that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, since the group's board appointed her in 2021, making her the first woman of color to lead the organization.
Per CNN, Laphoza Butler previously worked as the director of public policy and campaigns at Airbnb and advised Vice President Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign, but the majority of her heritage is in the labor movement, having served as the California union president.
Feinstein announced in February that she would not seek re-election, prompting a flurry of high-profile Democratic candidates to initiate campaigns to succeed her. Reps. Adam Schiff, a former House Intelligence chairman backed by former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Katie Porter, a former vice chair of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and Barbara Lee, a former chair of the Congressional Black Caucus and member of the House Democratic leadership, are among them.
Newsom previously promised to appoint a Black woman to replace Feinstein should she resign before the end of her term. Many had urged Newsom to appoint Lee, a longtime Oakland representative and the sole Black candidate for the position.
However, the governor stated last month that he would not appoint any of the candidates running for the position in the upcoming election. This is Newsom's second appointment to the Senate.
The governor appointed Alex Padilla, then California's secretary of state, to succeed Kamala Harris as vice president following the 2020 election. Padilla was appointed as California's first Latino senator, but Newsom was criticized for not selecting a Black woman, leaving the chamber without a Black female senator. In the end, he appointed a Black woman to succeed Padilla as secretary.
Dianne Feinstein Replacement
An adviser to the governor, Anthony York, told POLITICO that Newsom will appoint a candidate for the 2024 seat without imposing restrictions or prerequisites.
The announcement was anticipated to be made on Monday. Consequently, Butler may decide to enter the vast and competitive field of Democratic candidates seeking to succeed Feinstein, with special elections now superimposed on the March primary and November runoff.
Vice President Kamala Harris is anticipated to administer Butler's oath of office on Wednesday. The selection of Butler by Newsom coincides with a time of profound change in California's political establishment, with millions of people still lamenting the loss of Feinstein, the Senate's first female majority leader.
Meanwhile the California governor, who was mentored by Feinstein, has been grappling with his own personal mourning and the political ramifications of his choice to succeed her.
Prior to the announcement, those who disclosed internal deliberations to POLITICO were granted anonymity. Butler is currently enrolled to vote in Maryland, but she plans to transfer her registration to California.
After initially pledging to appoint a Black woman to the seat, Newsom was subjected to a great deal of duress regarding his choice. Several potential nominees expressed their disinterest publicly. Others privately expressed apprehension at the prospect of accepting a short-term position and then promptly launching a five-month campaign.
The expeditious nature of Newsom's appointment prevents politicians and their allies from undertaking more sustained efforts to influence the governor and his inner circle regarding his selection. In addition, it halts pressure from interest groups, including the question of whether he would require them to serve only provisionally.
The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, Steven Horsford, urged Governor Newsom to appoint Representative Barbara Lee, a candidate for the Senate whom the governor recently ruled out due to concerns about giving someone an advantage.
