California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint Laphonza Butler, the president of pro-abortion political group EMILY’s List, to replace Dianne Feinstein in the Senate, his spokesperson told multiple outlets Sunday.
Newsom had previously pledged to nominate a black woman to replace Feinstein if she was unable to finish her term in the Senate. Though Newsom had previously suggested that his pick to replace Feinstein would simply be a “caretaker” of the Senate seat, his selection of Butler was not contingent on her declining to run in 2024, according to Politico.
The decision throws a wrench into the Democratic primary to succeed Feinstein, who died Thursday and was planning to retire at the end of her term in 2024. Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee were vying for her seat. Butler could choose to run for seat in 2024.
Butler currently leads EMILY’s List, a political action group committed to electing pro-abortion Democratic women. Butler is currently listed as a resident of Maryland in the group’s Federal Election Commission filings.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
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