Governor Gavin Newsom has named Laphonza Butler to serve the remainder of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein's term.
Butler is president of EMILYs List, a fundraising group that works to elect Democratic women. She is a former University of California regent and has strong ties to the state's labor movement.
Butler is also an ally of the governor; she's a former partner a political consulting firm that works closely with Newsom.
In choosing, Butler, Newsom follows through on a promise to appoint a Black woman to the Senate seat if a vacancy occurred. While the governor previously said he wanted to appoint an interim Senator, Butler could choose to run for the seat in next year's election.
Democratic Representatives Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff are already campaigning for the seat.
Governor Gavin Newsom has named Laphonza Butler to serve the rest of senator Dianne Feinstein's term
