Laphonza Butler, the new senator from California, at an event for the Emily’s List organization last June.EVELYN HOCKSTEIN (Portal)
California will have a new senator in 2024. Laphonza Butler, the senator who replaced the late Dianne Feinstein in the upper house, announced Thursday that she will not run in next year’s election. The lawmaker is the only Black woman currently serving in the Senate, where she was nominated by the state’s governor, Gavin Newsom. The announcement further heats up the campaign of three senior politicians vying to retain the seat Feinstein held for 31 years in a Democratic stronghold.
Butler announced his decision in a thread on X, formerly known as Twitter. The 44-year-old lawmaker believes that public servants need to be clear when occupying a position of power. “For 16 days I have been searching for clarity: what kind of life I want to lead, what kind of service I want to provide and what voice I want to have,” he said. By answering these questions, she has realized that she has no interest in seeking a full term in the Senate, which lasts six years and begins in January 2025.
“I know this might come as a surprise to many because traditionally we see that those who have power are unwilling to let go,” he added. “It may not be the decision people expected, but for me it is the right one,” he concluded. Butler now has 383 days left in the term of Feinstein, a veteran senator who died in office at age 90. Butler’s mentions of politicians not knowing how to let go apply well to the San Francisco lawmaker.
Butler, who was a political adviser to Kamala Harris and is a veteran Democratic strategist, came to the Senate on a promise Gavin Newsom made to voters. The president gave California its first Latino senator by naming Alex Padilla as Harris’ successor when she became vice president in the Biden administration. The appointment was criticized by some sectors and black voters. Newsom promised that if a seat became available, it would be filled by an African-American woman. After Feinstein’s death, it took only two days for the governor to appoint Butler. The appointment was urgently needed for the Democrats to maintain their fragile majority in the upper house in Washington.
Butler’s exit from the race virtually defines the race for a seat that has been fought since 1992. Three congressmen have been competing for several months in hopes of winning the nomination for the November 2024 elections. These are Barbara Lee, Katie Porter and Adam Schiff, one of them members of the congressional committee that investigated the attack on the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Newsom did not ask Butler to remain on the sidelines. He gave her the opportunity to compete if she wanted. Applicants have until December 8th To for the campaign.
Butler is not a well-known politician in California like the other candidates. His candidacy would have caused difficulties for the Democrats in a very important place. “Knowing how to win a campaign doesn’t always mean you have to run a campaign,” Butler said this Thursday. The local press claims that Barbara Lee, the only black woman in the race, could emerge stronger after the departure of Butler, the third black woman in history to serve in the Senate. Lexi Reese, a technology executive, has also expressed interest in the process. Like Steve Garvey, a former Dodger pitcher who wants to run for the Republican Party.
Join EL PAÍS to follow all the news and read without restrictions.
Subscribe to
Follow all international information on Facebook and Xor in our weekly newsletter.