Newsom Picks Laphonza Butler To Replace Feinstein

California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint EMILY's List President Laphonza Butler to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

Butler was sworn into the US Senate on Wednesday by Vice President Kamala Harris. I Photo: Laphonza Butler X

This elevates the head of a fundraising juggernaut that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, according to a person familiar with the decision, Christopher Cadelago reported for Politico.

Newsom moved swiftly to name the next senator, two days after Feinstein's death and just as a perilously split Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown.

Senate Democrats needed every vote in the divided chamber.

The announcement came on Monday, and an adviser to the governor, Anthony York, told Politico that Newsom made his appointment without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024.

That means Butler could decide to join the sprawling and competitive field of Democratic contenders seeking to succeed Feinstein, with special elections now layered on top of the March primary and November runoff.

Butler was sworn into the US Senate on Wednesday by Vice President Kamala Harris.

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