Laphonza Butler was sworn in Tuesday to fill the California Senate seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein, who died last week at age 90. This makes Butler the only Black woman currently in the Senate and the first out Black lesbian in Congress — but the appointment also frustrated many progressives who had been pushing for Congressmember Barbara Lee to get the nod. Congressmember Ro Khanna, co-chair of Lee’s Senate campaign, says it was “unfortunate” that California Governor Gavin Newsom didn’t name her. Although Butler would be a “formidable candidate” if she runs for the seat in 2024, Khanna predicts that Lee can still win. “She has a record that speaks volumes for the type of country we need to be,” says Khanna.
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