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Laphonza Butler

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Laphonza Butler
Butler in 2013
United States Senator-designate
from California
Assuming office
October 2023
Appointed byGavin Newsom
SucceedingDianne Feinstein
Personal details
Born1978 or 1979 (age 45–46)
Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
EducationJackson State University (BA)

Laphonza Romanique Butler (born 1978/1979)[1] is an American political strategist and politician who is the United States senator-designate from California. She has served as president of EMILY's List. On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced he had chosen Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat left vacant by the death of Dianne Feinstein.[2]

Early life

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

Career

Butler 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, organizing 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]

In 2018, Butler was appointed by Governor Jerry Brown to a 12-year term as a regent of the University of California.[6] She resigned from her role as regent in 2021.[8]

Butler joined SCRB Strategies as a partner in 2018. At SCRB, she played a central role in Kamala Harris's 2020 presidential campaign. Butler also advised Uber in its dealings with organized labor while at SCRB.[9] Butler was known as a political ally of Harris since her first run for California Attorney General in 2010 when she helped Harris negotiate a shared SEIU endorsement in the race.[4][10]

Butler left SCRB in 2020 to join Airbnb as director of public policy and campaigns in North America.[11][5]

Butler was named the third president of EMILY's List in 2021. She was the first Black woman and mother to lead the organization.[12][4]

U.S. Senate

Appointment

On October 1, 2023, Governor Gavin Newsom chose Butler to become the next U.S. Senator from California, taking the seat left vacant by the death of U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein on September 29, 2023 and fulfilling a pledge to appoint a Black woman for the office.[13][14][15][2]

Personal life

Butler is openly lesbian.[16] Butler and her partner, Neneki Lee, have a daughter.[10]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Governor Brown Announces Appointments | Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr". www.ca.gov.
  2. ^ a b "Newsom taps Laphonza Butler for Feinstein's Senate seat". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
  3. ^ "Butler gets Beta Club scholarship". Enterprise-Journal. April 18, 1997. p. 4. 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. 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. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Laphonza Butler President of SEIU Local 2015, Appointed Budget Director to University of California Board of Regents". Associated Press. August 8, 2018.
  7. ^ Cottman, Michael (February 4, 2016). "Clinton Gains Support From 170 African American Women Leaders". NBC News. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  8. ^ "Regent Emerita Laphonza Butler | Board of Regents". regents.universityofcalifornia.edu. Retrieved August 12, 2023.
  9. ^ 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. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  10. ^ a b Mason, Melanie (December 7, 2018). "Labor leader Laphonza Butler jumps to political consulting — and just maybe a Kamala Harris presidential campaign". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  11. ^ Cadelago, Christopher; Marinucci, Carla (September 4, 2020). "Key Kamala Harris political consultant heads to top Airbnb post". Politico. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  12. ^ Booker, Brakkton (September 24, 2021). "EMILY's List has a new Queenmaker". Politico. Retrieved August 9, 2023.
  13. ^ Cadelago, Christopher (October 1, 2023). "Newsom picks Laphonza Butler as Feinstein replacement". Politico.
  14. ^ Bollag, Sophia (October 1, 2023). "Gavin Newsom names Laphonza Butler to fill U.S. Senate seat". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved October 2, 2023.
  15. ^ Newsom, Gavin (October 1, 2023). "Governor Gavin Newsom Appoints Laphonza Butler to the U.S. Senate". California Governor.
  16. ^ @laphonzabutler (June 1, 2022). "Happy 🌈 Pride Month!". Retrieved October 1, 2023 – via Instagram.
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