Newsom Issues Statement on His Choice to Fill Out Senator Feinstein Term

California Governor Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY's List, to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

She will be the third Black woman to ever serve in the Senate, as well as the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the U.S. Senate. Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, died Sept 28 at age 90. Newsom had promised to name a Black woman to serve out the remainder of Feinstein's term. California Secretary of State Shirley Webber of San Diego was among those who some speculated would be Newsom's choice.

"I am honored to accept Gov. Newsom’s nomination to be a U.S. Senator for a state I have long called home," Butler said in a statement Monday. "I am humbled by the Governor’s trust. Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s leadership and legacy are immeasurable. I will do my best to honor her by devoting my time and energy to serving the people of California and the people of this great nation." Butler currently lives in Maryland, but, the governor's office said, she owns a home in California and will switch her voter registration.

Here is statement from Governor Newsom's office:

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. 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.” 

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 Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Butler was a key leader of Vice President Harris's presidential campaign. 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.

(Photo Getty Images)