California Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Laphonza Butler to fill the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein 18 days ago. Butler has already declared that she will not be running for re-election in 2024.
Butler (D-Calif.) posted on X on Thursday that she has always believed elected officials should have absolute clarity about why they are in office and what they “intend to achieve with the responsibilities and power they have.”
She said that for the past 16 days, she’d been trying to get clear on what it is she wants out of life, what kind of service she wants to do, and what kind of voice she wants to share with the world. Those are valid concerns, so she has decided against seeking a full term in the United States Senate.
Butler, 44, is the first openly lesbian black woman to serve in Congress.
According to the FEC and public records, Butler has lived in Silver Spring, Maryland, since at least 2021. After accepting the presidency of Emily’s List, a political action organization that works to elect pro-abortion Democratic women, she moved to the DC region.
Butler posted an explanation for her stance, saying that just because you have the resources to win an election doesn’t mean you should. She realizes this comes as a shock to many people because it’s not common for persons in positions of authority to give it up. She continued by saying that she would devote herself entirely to serving the people of California till the conclusion of her tenure.
After Feinstein stated in February that she would not seek re-election, three members of California’s Democratic congressional delegation, Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee declared their candidacy for the Senate seat earlier this year.
After serving in the Senate since 1992, Feinstein passed away last month at the age of 90.
Former first baseman for the Dodgers and Padres Steve Garvey has recently declared his candidacy for a seat held by the Republican Party.
The top two vote-getters in the state’s June primary election will face off in the state’s general election in November, regardless of which party they belong to.
On March 5th, California will have its primary election.
