Meet the former union boss who is Gavin Newsom’s Senate replacement for the late Dianne Feinstein
Fox News
California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, appointed a Democratic strategist and former labor union boss to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., on Sunday.
Newsom tapped Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List — a Democratic political action committee (PAC) dedicated to electing pro-abortion Democratic women to office — for the vacant Senate seat.
Butler’s EMILY’s List biography had her residence listed as Silver Spring, Maryland, earlier Sunday evening, but it was removed from the profile shortly after it was announced she would be appointed to the position. An FEC filing from Aug. 31 also showed a Maryland address.
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EMILY’s List describes Butler as “a leader in Democratic politics, campaign strategy, and the labor movement for two decades” who has “dedicated her life to empowering women and supporting them in finding their voice, and using it to make meaningful change.”
According to its website, the progressive PAC’s vision includes championing “diversity as a catalyst for progressive change that makes our country better” as well as growing their “millions-strong community of passionate pro-choice supporters nationwide.”
Additionally, EMILY’s List touts its commitment to “Anti-racism, Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” on an entire page dedicated to the subjects, even going as far as to denote its three percent of “nonbinary/third gender” employees.
On the page, the PAC includes a “BIPOC breakdown” of the different races of their employees, which includes “Latinx” — a term reportedly heavily disfavored by the Latino community.
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“Fundamentally, we believe that sharing these numbers and prioritizing these efforts is not only best practice, but the right thing to do, especially for an organization like ours,” the organization writes. “We pride ourselves on electing underrepresented and marginalized women to all levels of public office, so we must ensure that our internal hiring practices further reflect these values.”
“We always strive to do right by our candidates, supporters, and staff; publishing these numbers on our website and demonstrating how seriously we take our staff demographics is one component of this work,” the website continues, which also noted the data on the website was updated last in January 2023.
Before joining the pro-abortion PAC, Butler worked as North American public policy director of Airbnb and as a senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris’ failed 2020 presidential campaign.
Butler got her start in politics by supporting labor unions, eventually becoming the union president of Service Employees International Union (SEIU) Local 2015 in California.
When reached for comment, EMILY’s List pointed Fox News Digital to its press release earlier Monday, in which board Chair Rebecca Haile described Butler as a “groundbreaking leader.”
“EMILYs List was created to get more Democratic pro-choice women in government, and I am thrilled to see my friend put that into action by taking on this role,” Haile said. “As a labor leader, the only Black woman in the Senate and the first Black LGBTQ+ senator, I know Laphonza will bring all of us into the Senate with her as she does the critical work of ensuring our government works for and represents all of us.”
Butler will finish out the remainder of Feinstein’s term in Washington, D.C., ahead of the 2024 election. In a statement, the governor described Butler as an “advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people, and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris.”
“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,” Newsom added. “Laphonza will carry the baton left by Senator Feinstein, continue to break glass ceilings, and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.”
Butler will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate and the first openly LGBTQ+ lawmaker to represent the Golden State in the upper chamber.
Newsom previously vowed to place a Black woman in any Senate seat that became vacant — a promise that was criticized by U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., who said the Democrat governor’s pledge was “insulting” to Black women, since the appointment would be temporary ahead of the primary.
Butler’s appointment came days after Feinstein’s death on Thursday at the age of 90.
Fox News Digital’s Landon Mion and Lee Ross contributed reporting.