Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-CA) said she will not run for the Senate seat in 2024 after being appointed on October 1 to fill the spot of the late Dianne Feinstein (D-CA).
Butler — who was previously president of pro-abortion EMILYs List, a group that bankrolls the campaigns of pro-abortion, female, Democrat politicians to the tune of tens of millions of dollars — told the New York Times that being a senator is “not the greatest use of my voice.”
“I believe leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to do with the power they hold,” Butler told the publication on Thursday when explaining why she will not run next year.
Breaking News: Laphonza Butler, who was appointed to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat in California, said she would not run for the office next year. https://t.co/nJBsC9ktxE
— The New York Times (@nytimes) October 19, 2023
“Even without Ms. Butler in the race, Californians will have a wealth of candidates to choose from,” according to the report. “Three high-profile Democratic members of Congress — Representatives Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee — had been campaigning for months when Senator Feinstein died at 90 in late September.”
RELATED: Chuck Schumer Eulogizes Dianne Feinstein on Senate Floor Following Her Passing at 90
Chuck Schumer via Storyful“Steve Garvey, the former first baseman for the Los Angeles Dodgers and San Diego Padres, has also announced his candidacy as a Republican,” the report continued.
Butler had never been elected to office before California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) appointed her to the position, fulfilling his promise to choose a black woman for the role.
Before also becoming “the first black woman” to lead EMILYs List, Butler served as director of public policy campaigns in North America for Airbnb. Before that, she was a partner at the political consulting firm SCRB (now called Bearstar Strategies) from January 2019 to September 2020, according to her LinkedIn profile.
While at the consulting firm, “she advised Vice President Kamala Harris, Mr. Newsom, and the ride-share company Uber,” the report states.
In 2016, Butler also served as senior adviser to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign in California during the primary and general elections. Butler, additionally, endorsed Clinton’s run while working as president of SEIU in 2015, California’s largest labor organization.
