California Gov. Gavin Newsom chooses Laphonza Butler to fill Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the president of EMILY’s List, to fill the seat of the late Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the governor’s office confirmed to NBC News.

Feinstein, the longest-serving woman in the Senate, died Thursday at the age of 90.

In California, the governor has the power to appoint a senator to serve until the next regularly scheduled statewide general election. That means that Butler will serve until the next senator, whom voters will choose in the November 2024 election, is sworn in.

Butler has led EMILY’s List, which works to elect Democratic women, since 2021, when she became the first Black woman to lead the organization. On Friday, she posted a tribute to Feinstein on social media, calling her “a titan in the Senate” and “a legendary figure for women in politics and around the country.”

Butler’s professional career has been rooted in California, where she led SEIU Local 2015, the largest union in the state. She has also been a longtime ally of Vice President Kamala Harris, member of the University of California Board of Regents and served as director of public policy and campaigns in North America for Airbnb.

Newsom, a Democrat, had provided substantial clues in recent months about how he’d choose Feinstein’s replacement, if her seat were to become vacant.

He had previously said that he would appoint a Black woman if either of California’s Senate seats opened up. He also told NBC’s “Meet the Press” last month that while he “didn’t want to make another appointment,” it knew it was his “responsibility.”

Newsom also said that his choice would amount to an “interim” appointment, and that he would not appoint any of the candidates who had been running to succeed Feinstein in 2024. Those include California Reps. Barbara Lee,…