Get Familiar: Laphonza Butler Appointed First Openly LGBTQ California Senator Following Diane Feinstein Passing
Source: Chip Somodevilla / Getty
As many of you know, California Senator Diane Feinstein passed away last week. Her passing means that an open seat needs to be filled and according to ABCNews, Governor Gavin Newsom knows precisely who he wants to appoint as her successor.
Laphonza Butler, president of a pro-abortion political activist group called EMILY’s List, will become the first-ever openly LGBTQ person to represent the state of California in the Senate. Additionally, she will be the second openly gay woman ever to serve in the Senate following the election of Tammy Baldwin from Wisconsin in 2012.
Moreover, Butler will be only the third Black woman to grace the hallowed walls of the Senate chamber and she will be sworn in on Tuesday, October 3, by the second woman on that list, Vice President Kamala Harris.
“Laphonza Butler has spent her career fighting for the rights of women and working people, just by looking at her career,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Monday. “And she’s herself succeeding a trailblazer by breaking more barriers.”
Aside from heading the operation at EMILY’s List, Butler has long been a political strategist for the Democratic party and a labor union leader ensuring that nursing home and medical care workers are treated equitably. Her work at Bearstar Strategies garnered the attention of both Gov. Newsom and Senator Alex Padilla and likely lead to their confidence that she could serve as a worthy Senator in the wake of Feinstein’s sudden death.
Congratulations to Senator Butler! We look forward to seeing her assert herself as a dignified member of the federal government that is fraught with clowns and clout chasers.
