Laphonza Butler, 44 and a Jackson State University graduate, became the newest senator from California during a swearing-in ceremony officiated Tuesday afternoon by Vice President Kamala Harris, whom she once served as a trusted adviser.
Wearing a bluish-gray suit, Butler presented herself before Harris and was flanked by California’s other senator, Alex Padilla, to her right and the Senate majority leader, Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.), to her left. Butler clutched a brown Bible in her left hand, raised her right hand, and Harris administered the 71-word oath.
With a simple “I will,” Butler accepted the unexpired term of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died last Friday at 90 after more than 30 years in office. As Butler signed the Senate Oath Book, she became only the third Black woman to serve in the Senate and its first openly gay member. She has yet to make her intentions known as to whether she will seek the full six-year term that begins in January 2025 but has until Dec. 8 to file for the March 5, 2024, primary.
Harris shook Butler’s hand and congratulated her three times while the Senate chamber erupted in a standing ovation.
“I can’t help but think how proud Sen. Feinstein would be, seeing someone as brilliant, as accomplished, as history-making as Laphonza Butler take her place,” Schumer said. “I know that our old colleague is looking down at this moment with pride now that her seat is in good hands. Congratulations to Sen. Butler on this immense honor.”
Until now, the new senator hadn’t held public office, but she pulled strings behind the scenes. She was president of EMILY’s List, an organization dedicated to getting pro-choice women elected to political office. She also served the Service Employees International Union Local 2015 for over ten years.
