Gov. Gavin Newsom chooses Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat

By Adam Edelman and Amanda Terkel, NBC BLK

Butler is the head of the group Emily’s List, which works to elect Democratic women. She will be the third Black woman in history to serve in the Senate.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the governor’s office confirmed to NBC News.

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 chamber. Politico first reported Newsom’s choice of Butler. […]

Butler has led EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, since 2021, when she became the first Black woman to lead the organization. On Friday, she posted a tribute to Feinstein on social media, calling her “a titan in the Senate” and “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country.”

Kelley Robinson, president of the Human Rights Campaign — the country’s largest LGBTQ rights organization — called her appointment “a landmark moment in the fight for social, racial and economic justice.”

“As the first Black lesbian to represent California in the United States Senate, Laphonza brings a compelling voice for abortion rights, the labor movement and civil rights into Congress. Her leadership is a testament to the legacy of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s strong record of pro-LGBTQ+ support,” Robinson said.

Read more about Senator Butler in the original article.

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