California Governor Gavin Newsom has appointed Emily’s List President and former union leader LaFonze Butler to replace Senator Dianne Feinstein, who passed away last week.
Butler will be the first openly LGBT representative from California in the US Senate and the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress. She will also be the second Black woman in history to represent California in the upper house of Congress after Kamala Harris.
“LaFonza Butler is a champion for women and girls, a fighter for workers’ rights, and a trusted advisor to Vice President Harris. She represents the best of California and will proudly represent us in the U.S. Senate,” Newsom said in a statement.
- “As we mourn Senator Feinstein, the freedoms she fought for — reproductive rights, equal protection, and safety from violence — are more in need of protection than ever. LaFonza will continue her work and fight for all Californians in Washington.”
Newsom promised two years ago that if a Senate seat became available, he would appoint a Black woman.
Career and public service
Butler wrote on Monday on X (formerly Twitter) that she “honors the trust” of the governor and accepts the appointment.
“No one can match Senator Feinstein’s legacy, but I will strive to continue her work with dignity — working for women and girls, workers and unions, parents struggling to make ends meet, and all Californians,” she said.
She will fill Feinstein’s seat until the end of her term in 2024. Barbara Lee, Katie Porter, and Adam Schiff are already planning to run for this Senate seat next year. It is not yet known whether Butler will run for a full six-year term.
Since 2021, Butler has headed Emily’s List, the largest political committee in the United States supporting pro-choice Democrats. She was the first Black woman to hold the position, but will leave the organization after her appointment to the Senate.
Butler previously led the state’s largest union, SEIU Local 2015, representing care workers, and fought for more than a decade for equal pay for women and an increase in the minimum wage to $15 an hour.
She also served as director of public policy at Airbnb (2020–2021), participated in Kamala Harris’s campaign for vice president, and was a senior advisor to Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential campaign.
Personal information
Butler was born in Magnolia, Mississippi, into a working-class family. Her father died when she was 16 after a serious illness. Her mother worked several jobs to support the family.
The future senator graduated from Jackson State University, a historically black college (HBCU), with a bachelor’s degree in political science. She is married and has an 8-year-old daughter, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Although Butler has recently lived in Maryland, the Newsom administration emphasized that she owns property in California and will re-register to vote in her home state.
Reaction to the appointment
Butler’s appointment received widespread support among Democrats. California Senator Alex Padilla said he was “honored to welcome her to the U.S. Senate.”
“Throughout her career, LaFonza Butler has been a strong voice for working families, an advocate for LGBT rights, and a champion of expanding women’s participation in politics,” Padilla said.
Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer called Butler a “highly professional and dedicated public servant” who will help Democrats “deliver results for the American people.”
Representatives of the LGBT community and the reproductive rights movement also welcomed her appointment. Equality California Executive Director Tony Hoang said it was “a historic decision by Governor Newsom that will give our community a new voice in Congress.” Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California President Jody Hicks added that Butler is “a national leader in the fight for reproductive freedom.”
