Gov. Gavin Newsom chooses Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat
Butler is the head of the group EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women. She will be the third Black woman in history to serve in the Senate.
By Adam Edelman and Amanda Terkel for NBC News –
California Gov. Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the governor’s office confirmed to NBC News.
She will be the third Black woman to ever serve in the Senate, as well as the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the chamber. Politico first reported Newsom’s choice of Butler.
Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, died Friday at age 90.
“I am honored to accept Gov. Newsom’s nomination to be a U.S. Senator for a state I have long called home,” Butler said in a statement Monday. “I am humbled by the Governor’s trust. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s leadership and legacy are immeasurable. I will do my best to honor her by devoting my time and energy to serving the people of California and the people of this great nation.”
In California, the governor has the power to appoint a senator to serve until the next regularly scheduled statewide general election. That means Butler will serve until the next senator, whom voters will choose in the November 2024 election, is sworn in.
Butler has led EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, since 2021, when she became the first Black woman to lead the organization. On Friday, she posted a tribute to Feinstein on social media, calling her “a titan in the Senate” and “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country.”
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