Laphonza Butler, the first Black LGBTQ+ U.S. senator, won’t run in 2024 for the California seat to which she was recently appointed. Photo: Power Summit 2022
02.10.2023 - 13:45 / deadline.com
Laphonza Butler, the president of Emily’s List, has been appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) as the state’s next U.S. senator.
Butler, 44, who is president of Emily’s List, is expected to be sworn in this week. She will be the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Senate.
Her appointment is through the end of next year, and she is not among the candidates, as of yet, in the race to succeed her. Feinstein had announced earlier this year that she was not running for a new term, but the anticipation of an open seat saw Katie Porter and Adam Schiff jump into the race before then, with Barbara Lee joining later.
Newsom said that Butler “has spent her entire career fighting for women and girls and has been a fierce advocate for working people.”
He added, “I have no doubt she will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington.”
Newsom’s appointment fulfills his pledge to name a Black woman to the seat, and while he had indicated that he make an “interim appointment,” he came under criticism for the idea that his selection would be a caretaker who would not seek election to the seat. There was such no requirement, according to Newsom’s spokesman, but the governor did not choose Lee, the only Black woman in the Senate race, as he had said he did not want to get involved in the primary.
An issue that quickly arose with Butler’s appointment was her residency. She listed Maryland on her Twitter bio. She previously lived in California and served as president of SEIU Long Term Care Workers. She was appointed a regent of the University of California in 2018, and later advised Kamala Harris on her
Laphonza Butler, the first Black LGBTQ+ U.S. senator, won’t run in 2024 for the California seat to which she was recently appointed. Photo: Power Summit 2022
Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA), appointed earlier this month to fill the vacancy following the death of Dianne Feinstein, said that she will not run for the seat in the 2024 election.
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Politico that the governor has not placed any limitations or preconditions on Butler, meaning she could potentially enter the race and run for a full six-year term next year. The primary is in March, with the top two “runoff” in November.
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William Earl California Gov. Gavin Newsom is set to name longtime labor leader and political organizer Laphonza Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat left open by the death last week of pioneering legislator Dianne Feinstein.
The death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein last week at age 90 has left the longtime California politician’s Senate seat vacant, and rumours are swirling that Meghan Markle is among those in contention to become the state’s next Senator.
Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer Gov. Gavin Newsom has vetoed a bill giving unemployment benefits to striking workers, which was backed by the Writers Guild of America and SAG-AFTRA. “Now is not the time to increase costs or incur this sizable debt,” he wrote in his veto message Saturday.
Oprah Winfrey and Meghan Markle are reportedly among those being considered to replace late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif. Winfrey's name is among those being floated for the role, according to Newsmax and The Desert Sun, but the successful TV host-turned-billionaire book publisher and entrepreneur indicated as recently as in May that she "is not considering the seat should it become vacant," according to the Los Angeles Times.
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U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California, a centrist Democrat and champion of liberal causes who was elected to the Senate in 1992 and broke gender barriers throughout her long career in local and national politics, has died. She was 90.
President Joe Biden has released the following statement on the death of Senator Dianne Feinstein:
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the Democratic powerbroker who served California and her political party for more than 30 years, died Thursday night, her office has confirmed. She was 90.
Longtime US Senator Dianne Feinstein, who represented California for decades in the federal governing body, has died.
Senator Dianne Feinstein has sadly passed away.
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letter accompanying his veto of Assembly Bill 957, sponsored by Assemblywoman Lori Wilson (D-Suisun City), Newsom said that while he appreciated the “passion and values” that led Wilson to propose the bill, he could not sign the bill.“I share a deep commitment to advancing the rights of transgender Californians, an effort that has guided my decisions through many decades in public office,” Newsom said in the statement.“That said, I urge caution when the Executive and Legislative branches of state government attempt to dictate — in prescriptive terms that single out one characteristic — legal standards for the Judicial branch to apply. Other-minded elected officials, in California and other states, could very well use this strategy to diminish the civil rights of vulnerable communities.”Newsom added that courts are already required to consider a child’s health, safety, and welfare when determining the best interests of a child, including whether a parent affirms their child’s gender identity.