Gavin Newsom will appoint women's group president Laphonza Butler to fill Feinstein seat

NBC News confirmed Sunday evening that California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint Laphonza Butler to the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein's Senate seat.

Butler has been serving as the president of the women's group EMILYs List, which works to elect pro-choice Democratic women, including candidates like Tulsi Gabbard. The group is known for helping usher in scores of women in politics, even if it meant going up against more progressive male candidates.

"Butler's professional career has been rooted in California, where she led SEIU Local 2015, the largest union in the state," the report said. "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 said that he would not appoint any of the candidates running for the seat in 2024 to fill out the term.

She will be the third Black woman to serve in the Senate.