California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, to fill the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, his office confirmed Sunday evening.
Butler will become the sole Black female senator serving in Congress and only the third in US history. Feinstein, the longest-serving female US senator in history, died last week at 90.
The selection of Butler, first reported by Politico, comes as Democrats hold a narrow Senate majority and uncertainty looms over New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez’s political future amid outcry from his Democratic colleagues over his federal indictment.
Butler has been the president of EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, since the group’s board of directors appointed her in 2021, when she became the first woman of color to lead the organization. She previously worked at Airbnb as a director of public policy and campaigns and advised Vice President Kamala Harris’ 2020 presidential campaign, but much of her background is in the labor movement, serving as a union president in California.
Part of the problem is the progressive in question is currently running for that seat, and is trailing in the polls. If Newsom had appointed her, it would have seemed like he was putting his thumb on the scales of the election. Butler might be an insider, but she’s not running for election. She will finish out this term and step aside.
She advised Uber when it was fighting the law requiring app companies to grant employees normal benefits. That sort of shit flies in the face of any union work she may have done.
She could still choose to run if she wanted. I will not be surprised in the least if she does.
Then don’t vote for her if she runs. Frankly I think people like you would have been mad no matter who Newsome appointed
Newsome can suck it. He bailed out PG&E. The lawyers responsible worked for PG&E at one point.
Newsome doesn’t give a shit about anything except money, just like every other corporatist politician.
So what if he bailed out PG&E? What was the alternative, let the fucking grid collapse? You’d call him a corporatist no matter what he did. It’s just more meaningless anger from a troll.
I’m a troll because I disagree with Newsome’s value as a politician? No. My opinion differs from yours. I am presenting points, you’re just saying, “so what?”
At least I’m standing with some sort of justification for my position instead of just saying, “whatever, dude.”
Unrelenting, blind hatred isn’t much of a position, dude
Same, bro. She lives in Maryland! Wtf. Why are defending this? She’s not even a California resident.
She’s a dual resident. Grow up