Gov. Newsom Names Black Woman, Laphonza Butler, to Succeed Sen. Dianne Feinstein

By Antonio Ray Harvey
California Black Media 

Gov. Gavin Newsom has announced that his choice to succeed U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who passed away on Sept. 29, is Laphonza Butler, a labor leader and the president of EMILY’s List – the country’s most extensive resource for women in politics. 

“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.,” said Newsom, in a statement released Oct. 1. 

Butler will make history as California’s first openly LGBTQ+ U.S Senator and the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Congress. 

She will join 47 other Democrats and three independents who caucus with the Democrats in the Senate for the remainder of Feinstein’s term, which ends in December 2024. “An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” Newsom said. 

Assemblymember Mike Gipson (D-Carson), a member of the California Legislative Black Caucus (CLBC), says he is proud of Newsom’s choice. 

“As a proud member of @CABlackCaucus and Assemblymember for #AD65, I am extremely proud that @GavinNewsom stood by his commitment as he always has,” Gipson wrote on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter. “And I appreciate him for standing by his word and providing a great successor amidst the passing of the honorable Senator Feinstein.” 

“I am always excited when a Black Woman is elevated. Laphonza Butler will represent California well and will bring a perspective to the US Senate that is desperately needed as a Black, LGBTQ+, mother, organizer, and labor leader,” said Kellie Todd Griffin, founding convener of the California Black Women’s Collective.