CA Gov Names Butler to Feinstein Seat  10/02 06:01

   California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza Butler, a Democratic 
strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential campaign, to fill 
the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by the death of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.

   LOS ANGELES (AP) -- California Gov. Gavin Newsom has selected Laphonza 
Butler, a Democratic strategist and adviser to Kamala Harris' 2020 presidential 
campaign, to fill the U.S. Senate seat made vacant by the death of Sen. Dianne 
Feinstein.

   In choosing Butler on Sunday, Newsom fulfilled his pledge to appoint a Black 
woman if Feinstein's seat became open. However, he had been facing pressure 
from some Black politicians and advocacy groups to select Barbara Lee, a 
prominent Black congresswoman who is already running for the seat.

   Butler will be the only Black woman serving in the U.S. Senate and the first 
openly LGBTQ+ person to represent California in the chamber.

   Newsom said in a statement that the priorities Feinstein fought for in 
Congress -- reproductive freedom, equal protection and safety from gun violence 
-- were under assault in the nation. "Laphonza will carry the baton left by 
Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all 
Californians in Washington D.C.," he said.

   Butler leads Emily's List, a political organization that supports Democratic 
women candidates who favor abortion rights. She also is a former labor leader 
with SEIU 2015, a powerful force in California politics.

   Her appointment sets up a potentially tricky political calculus in the 
crowded 2024 contest to succeed Feinstein, which has been underway since the 
beginning of the year.

   Newsom spokesman Anthony York said the governor did not ask Butler to commit 
to staying out of the race. The deadline for candidates to submit paperwork to 
seek the office is Dec. 8. Should Butler enter the contest, she could set up a 
competition for the relatively small but influential group of Black voters in 
California and possibly undercut Lee's chances.

   Emily's List is known as a fundraising powerhouse, and raising huge sums of 
campaign cash is a must in any statewide California race. Newsom's statement 
said she will step down from the organization.

   The decision carried the threat of political fallout for Newsom, who is seen 
as a potential future national candidate. The candidate favored by Black voters 
has won the Democratic Party's presidential nomination every cycle since 1992. 
The Congressional Black Caucus was among the groups and Black politicians that 
had urged Newsom to appoint Lee, calling her the best qualified choice for the 
post.

   The long-serving Feinstein died Thursday at age 90 after a series of 
illnesses.

   Butler currently lives in Maryland, according to her Emily's List biography. 
Izzy Gardon, a spokesman for Newsom, said Butler owns a home in California. She 
is expected to reregister to vote in California before being sworn in. That 
could happen as early as Tuesday evening when the Senate returns to session.

   Butler did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment nor release a 
statement.

   Democrats control the Senate 51-49, though Feinstein's seat is vacant. A 
quick appointment by Newsom will give the Democratic caucus more wiggle room on 
close votes, including nominations that Republicans uniformly oppose.

   Feinstein, the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman in 
the Senate, said in February she would not seek reelection in 2024. Lee is one 
of several prominent Democrats competing for the seat, including Democratic 
U.S. Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff. Newsom said he did not want to appoint 
any of the candidates because it would give them an unfair advantage in the 
race.

   Butler has never held elected office but has a long track record in 
California politics. She served as a senior adviser to Harris's 2020 
presidential campaign while working at a political firm filled with strategists 
who have worked for Newsom and many other prominent state Democrats. She also 
briefly worked in the private sector for Airbnb.

   She called Feinstein "a legendary figure for women in politics and around 
the country," in a statement posted after Feinstein's death.

   Emily's List, the group Butler leads, focuses on electing Democratic women 
who support abortion rights. With the U.S. Supreme Court's 2022 decision to 
overturn women's constitutional right to abortion, the issue has become a 
galvanizing one for many Democrats.

   Equality California, the nation's largest statewide LGBTQ+ civil rights 
organization, said the appointment "will give our ... community another voice 
in Congress at a time when our rights and freedoms are under attack across the 
country."

   It's not Newsom's first time selecting a U.S. senator, after being tasked 
with choosing a replacement for Kamala Harris when she was elected vice 
president; at that time he selected California Secretary of State Alex Padilla 
for the post. It was one of a string of appointments Newsom made in late 2020 
and early 2021, a power that gave him kingmaker status among the state's 
ambitious Democrats.

   The seat is expected to stay in Democratic hands in the 2024 election. 
Democrats in the liberal-leaning state have not lost a statewide election since 
2006, and the party holds a nearly 2-to-1 voter registration advantage over 
Republicans.