Gavin Newsom will appoint Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, to fill the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat, his office confirmed Sunday evening. She will also be the sole Black female senator serving in Congress and only the third in US history. Newsom previously pledged to appoint a Black woman to Feinstein’s seat should the senator resign before her term’s end. He later appointed Shirley Weber, a Black woman, to succeed Padilla as secretary of state. California also held two Senate elections for the same seat in 2022, following Padilla’s appointment.

Source: CNN October 02, 2023 23:02 UTC