https://latimes.com/california/story/laphonza-butler-us-senator-…
Laphonza Butler, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s appointee to the U.S. Senate, says she wants to carry the baton of Sen. Dianne Feinstein.
Butler spoke with The Times on Monday in her first interview since her appointment by the governor, a decision that will catapult her into the history books as the only Black woman currently in the Senate and the first LGBTQ+ senator from California.
She didn’t have an answer to the top question on the minds of political observers across the nation — especially the candidates in the 2024 California Senate race. Will she run for the seat next year or simply serve as a caretaker of the position until November?
“I have no idea. I genuinely don’t know,” Butler said. “I want to be focused on honoring the legacy of Sen. Feinstein. I want to devote my time and energy to serving the people of California. And I want to carry her baton with the honor that it deserves and so I genuinely have no idea.”
@S0cialJustic3ElianaDemocrat8mos8MO
Reality check:
If Butler ran, she'd be facing a significant financial and name ID deficit against her better-known challengers.
And unless Lee dropped out of the race, she would only be dividing up support among voters looking for an African-American woman to serve in the role.
@RadiantMusselDemocrat8mos8MO
It's unlikely she was interested in running for the seat full-time, but even if she was, her odds are awfully long against an already well-developed D field.
@S0cialJustic3ElianaDemocrat8mos8MO
She doesn't want to run in '24, she'd have to move to the state she wants to represent and who in their right mind wants to move to California?
@GallantElectoralRepublican8mos8MO
My guess is that she made an agreement to not run with Newsome so Schiff will have a clear path without having to contend with the racial identity issue Newsome created.
