California Governor Gavin Newsom has chosen who will serve out the rest of Sen. Dianne Feinstein's term after the longtime Democrat senator died last week at the age of 90.
On Sunday, the governor's office announced that Laphonza Butler -- president of the nation's largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY's List -- will complete Feinstein's term, which runs through 2024.
Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, will be the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the Senate. She will also be the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history and the second Black woman to represent California in the Senate, following Harris.
"Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she'll represent us proudly in the United States Senate," Newsom said in a statement. "As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault. Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C."
On Monday, Butler said she was honored to accept the nomination.
"No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California," she posted on X. "I am ready to serve."
With her selection to the Senate, Butler will step down from her role as president of EMILY’s List, where she was the first woman of color and mother to lead the organization. Prior to joining EMILY’s List, Butler ran political campaigns and led strategy efforts for numerous companies, organizations, and elected leaders — including for Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.
For more than a decade, she served as the president of the largest labor union in California — SEIU Local 2015 — a union representing more than 325,000 nursing home and home-care workers throughout the state.
Previously, Butler served as President of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers (ULTCW) and also as SEIU’s Property Services Division Director, in which she was responsible for the strategic direction of organizing on behalf of more than 250,000 janitors, security officers, window cleaners, and food service workers across the country. Butler also served as an SEIU International Vice President and president of the SEIU California State Council.
Butler was the former director of the Board of Governors of the Los Angeles branch of the Federal Reserve System. In 2018, she was appointed to the University of California Board of Regents by Governor Jerry Brown, where she served until 2021. She served in various other roles, including as a board member for the National Children’s Defense Fund, BLACK PAC, and the Bay Area Economic Council Institute, and as a fellow for the MIT Community Innovators Lab.
Butler was also named a "Champion for Change" by President Barack Obama.
Butler received a bachelor of arts degree in political science from Jackson State University. She is married to her wife, Neneki, and together they have a daughter, Nylah.