California Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced Democratic Party political strategist Laphonza Butler as the candidate to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.).
The longest serving woman in the U.S. Senate, Mrs. Feinstein, 90, passed away last week at her home in Washington following months of poor health.
She had already announced in February her intention to retire on Jan. 3, 2025, at the end of her current term. She would have been approaching 92 by the time she retired.
In a Sept. 29 post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, Ms. Butler paid tribute to her predecessor, calling her a “Titan” and a “legendary figure for women in politics.”
According to a press release from the office of Gov. Newsom, Ms. Butler will complete the United States Senate term of the late senator Dianne Feinstein, which runs through 2024.
“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” Gov. Newsom said.
“Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C,” he added.
Ms. Butler will now serve as the next senator until the November 2024 election, when voters will formally decide on Mrs. Feinstein’s official replacement in the election.
Mr. Newsom had made public promises to appoint a woman of colour if either of California’s Senate seats opened up dating back to at least 2021, when he told MSNBC host Joy Reid in an appearance on her show that he had multiple people in mind.
He already faced backlash in 2021 after choosing longtime ally Alex Padilla, who was serving as California secretary of state at the time, to replace Kamala Harris after she was elected as vice president.
On Sept. 10, Mr. Newsom appeared on NBC’s “Meet the Press” and said he would stick by his earlier pledge to fill the seat with a temporary appointment.
In California, a governor can appoint a senator to serve until the next scheduled general election in the state.
In the past, other senators have risen to power through similar appointments, including Democrat Tina Smith of Minnesota and Republican Tim Scott of South Carolina.
Ms. Butler, a prominent fixture in California politics for over ten years, previously spent nearly two decades as a labor leader with the state’s largest union, the Service Employees International Union (SEIU Local 2015).
In the past, she was named a “Champion for Change” by former President Barack Obama.
She was also an adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris before taking the top job at Emily’s List in 2021, a national organization created to help women win political office.
Emily’s List was founded in 1985 by IBM heiress Ellen Malcolm. However, Ms. Butler is the first woman of colour to lead the organization.
With her selection to the Senate, Ms. Butler will reportedly step down from her role as president of EMILY’s List.
Update: This article has been updated to include comment from Gov. Newsom’s office.
From The Epoch Times
