Laphonza Butler

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Laphonza Butler
United States Senator
from California
Assumed office
October 3, 2023
Serving with Alex Padilla
Appointed byGavin Newsom
Preceded byDianne Feinstein
Personal details
Born
Laphonza Romanique Butler

1978/1979 (age 44–45)
Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Domestic partnerNeneki Lee
Children1
EducationJackson State University (BA)
Signature

Laphonza Romanique Butler (born 1978/1979)[1] is an American politician and labor union official serving as the Junior United States senator from California since 2023. Butler began her career as a union organizer, and served as president of California SEIU State Council from 2013 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, she was the president of EMILY's List from 2021 to 2023 and a regent of the University of California from 2018 to 2021.

On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Dianne Feinstein.[2]

Early life and education

Butler was born in Magnolia, Mississippi, the youngest of three children. Her father died of heart disease when she was 16 years old. She attended South Pike High School in Magnolia[3] and Jackson State University.[4]

Career

Butler (center) with state assemblymembers, 2013

Butler began her career as a union organizer for nurses in Baltimore and Milwaukee, janitors in Philadelphia, and hospital workers in New Haven, Connecticut. In 2009, she moved to California, where she organized in-home caregivers and nurses and served as president of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers, SEIU Local 2015.[4][5][6]

Butler was elected president of the California SEIU State Council in 2013. She undertook efforts to boost California's minimum wage and raise income taxes on the wealthiest Californians.[4] As president of SEIU Local 2015, Butler endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.[7] Butler was one of California's electors who voted for Clinton in the 2016 election.[8]

In 2018, California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Butler to a 12-year term as a regent of the University of California.[6] She resigned from her role as regent in 2021.[9]

Butler is a director of Vision to Learn, a nonprofit founded by Austin Beutner that provides reading glasses to children in underserved communities.[10]

Butler joined SCRB Strategies, a California-based political consulting firm, as a partner in 2018. At SCRB, she played a central role in Kamala Harris's 2020 presidential campaign. She was known as a political ally of Harris's since the latter's first run for California Attorney General in 2010, when she helped Harris negotiate a shared SEIU endorsement in the race.[4][11] Butler also advised Uber in its dealings with organized labor while at SCRB.[12]

Butler left SCRB in 2020 to join Airbnb as director of public policy and campaigns in North America.[13][5]

Butler was named the third president of EMILY's List in 2021. She was the first black woman and first mother to lead the organization.[14][4]

U.S. Senate

Appointment

On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Dianne Feinstein, thus fulfilling his pledge to appoint a black woman to the office.[15] Butler was chosen despite not being a resident of California, as required by the U.S. constitution.[16] Newsom's office said Butler would re-register to vote in California before taking office as a senator.[17]

Upon taking office on October 3, Butler became the first open LGBT member of the U.S. Senate from California and the first Black lesbian to serve in the Senate.[18]

Personal life

Butler is a lesbian and has a daughter with her partner, Neneki Lee.[19] They moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2021 when she assumed the presidency of EMILY's List,[20][21] while continuing to own a home in View Park, California in Los Angeles County.[22] In October 2023, she officially re-domiciled to that home and re-registered to vote in California when Governor Gavin Newsom appointed her Senator upon the death of Dianne Feinstein.[22]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Governor Brown Announces Appointments | Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr". Government of California (Press release). Archived from the original on October 19, 2020. Retrieved September 29, 2023.
  2. ^ Rosenhall, Laurel; Mehta, Seema (October 1, 2023). "Newsom taps Laphonza Butler for Feinstein's Senate seat". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "Butler gets Beta Club scholarship". Enterprise-Journal. April 18, 1997. p. 4. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023 – via Newspapers.com.
  4. ^ a b c d e Barabak, Mark (November 5, 2021). "Column: For women in politics, California strategist offers a fresh face and added mission". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  5. ^ a b Owens, Donna M. (September 22, 2021). "Laphonza Butler Becomes First Black Woman to Lead Influential Political Organization EMILY's List". Essence. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Laphonza Butler President of SEIU Local 2015, Appointed Budget Director to University of California Board of Regents". Los Angeles Sentinel. Associated Press. August 8, 2018. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  7. ^ Cottman, Michael (February 4, 2016). "Clinton Gains Support From 170 African American Women Leaders". NBC News. Archived from the original on January 24, 2018. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "November 8, 2016, General Election Presidential Elector List for the State of California" (PDF). California Secretary of State. October 4, 2016. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  9. ^ "Regent Emerita Laphonza Butler | Board of Regents". regents.universityofcalifornia.edu. Archived from the original on August 12, 2023. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  10. ^ "Leadership". visiontolearn.org. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  11. ^ Mason, Melanie (December 7, 2018). "Labor leader Laphonza Butler jumps to political consulting — and just maybe a Kamala Harris presidential campaign". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Finnegan, Michael; Mason, Melanie (September 12, 2019). "Kamala Harris' brother-in-law is the public face of Uber's fight with labor. It's awkward". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  13. ^ Cadelago, Christopher; Marinucci, Carla (September 4, 2020). "Key Kamala Harris political consultant heads to top Airbnb post". Politico. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  14. ^ Booker, Brakkton (September 24, 2021). "EMILY's List has a new Queenmaker". Politico. Archived from the original on August 10, 2023. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  15. ^ Cadelago, Christopher (October 1, 2023). "Newsom picks Laphonza Butler as Feinstein replacement". Politico. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  16. ^ Sachs, Stephen E. (October 2, 2023). "Is Sen.-to-be Butler Eligible to Represent California?". The Volokh Conspiracy. Reason. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  17. ^ Bollag, Sophia; Garofoli, Joe (October 1, 2023). "Gavin Newsom names Laphonza Butler to fill U.S. Senate seat". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  18. ^ Reston, Maeve; Pager, Tyler (October 2, 2023). "Newsom taps Emily's List leader to fill Feinstein's Senate seat". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  19. ^ St Clair, Katy (October 1, 2023). "Laphonza Butler, Newsom's Feinstein replacement, to make LGBT history". CBS Bay Area. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  20. ^ Brewster, Freddy (October 1, 2023). "Gov. Newsom's office says he'll name Laphonza Butler, former Kamala Harris adviser, to Feinstein Senate seat". KTVU. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  21. ^ Phillips, Aleks (October 2, 2023). "Laphonza Butler's non-California residence raises questions". Newsweek. Retrieved October 3, 2023.
  22. ^ a b Chambers, Francesca (October 2, 2023). "Meet Laphonza Butler, the EMILY's List president and Kamala Harris ally entering the Senate". USA Today. Retrieved October 3, 2023.

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Laphonza Butler.
U.S. Senate
Preceded by U.S. Senator (Class 1) from California
2023–present
Served alongside: Alex Padilla 		Incumbent
U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial)
Preceded byas United States Senator from Nebraska Order of precedence of the United States
as United States Senator from California 		Succeeded by
Preceded by United States senators by seniority
100th 		Last
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