California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, a pro-abortion activist, Democratic strategist, and former labor union boss, to fill the late Dianne Feinstein’s Senate seat.
Butler is the president of Emily’s List, one of the top pro-abortion groups in the country seeking to elect pro-abortion females into office. She has expressed support for the radical Women’s Health Protection Act, a bill that would codify Roe v. Wade and massively expand abortions in the United States.
Emily’s List spent $112 million during the 2020 presidential election cycle and partnered with Planned Parenthood to raise $150 million in the 2022 midterm election cycle.
Emily’s List describes Butler as “a leader in Democratic politics, campaign strategy, and the labor movement for two decades” who has “dedicated her life to empowering women and supporting them in finding their voice, and using it to make meaningful change.”
“I’m honored to accept Gov. @GavinNewsom’s nomination to be U.S. Senator for a state I have made my home and honored by his trust in me to serve the people of California and this great nation,” she said in a tweet thread on Monday.
“No one will ever measure up to the legacy of Sen. Dianne Feinstein,” she added, “but I will do my best to honor her legacy and leadership by committing to work for women and girls, workers and unions, struggling parents, and all of California. I am ready to serve.”
Butler previously served as director of public policy and campaigns in North America for Airbnb, as a partner at the political consulting firm SCRB Strategies, and as a senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris and failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton.
She also was elected “president of the biggest union in California, and the nation’s largest homecare workers union, SEIU Local 2015” when she was only 30 years old, according to her Emily’s List bio.
The governor’s announcement sparked a strong response from pro-life advocates like the SBA Pro-Life America, whose president, Marjorie Dannenfelser, accused the abortion lobby of spending “millions to elect Democrats who back its agenda of abortion on demand through all nine months of pregnancy, paid for by taxpayers.”
“Democrats like Newsom, in turn, are beholden to the abortion lobby,” she said. “The pay-to-play system couldn’t be more obvious, with an unelected Senate seat as the ultimate reward. Newsom even passed over staunch pro-abortion candidates who reside in California, in favor of a Beltway insider and the biggest pro-abortion extremist he could find.”
Butler did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Daily Signal. Until recently, Federal Election Commission filings show, her residence was listed as Silver Spring, Maryland, rather than California.
Have an opinion about this article? To sound off, please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state.