Laphonza Butler facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Laphonza Butler
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Official portrait, 2023
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| United States Senator from California |
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| In office October 1, 2023 – December 8, 2024 |
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| Appointed by | Gavin Newsom |
| Preceded by | Dianne Feinstein |
| Succeeded by | Adam Schiff |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Laphonza Romanique Butler
May 11, 1979 Magnolia, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | Neneki Lee |
| Children | 1 |
| Education | Jackson State University (BA) |
| Signature |  |
Laphonza Romanique Butler (born May 11, 1979) is an American politician and former labor union leader. She served as a United States Senator for California from 2023 to 2024. Before becoming a senator, Butler was a union organizer. She led the California SEIU State Council from 2013 to 2018. As a member of the Democratic Party, she also served as a regent for the University of California system from 2018 to 2021. From 2021 to 2023, she was the president of EMILY's List, an organization that supports women in politics.
Butler has been a longtime supporter of Kamala Harris. On October 1, 2023, California Governor Gavin Newsom chose Butler to fill the U.S. Senate seat. This seat became empty after Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away. Butler made history as the first openly Black woman from the LGBTQ community to serve in the Senate. Soon after taking office, she announced she would not run for a full term in the 2024 election. Adam Schiff was later elected to take her place.
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Early Life and Education
Laphonza Butler was born on May 11, 1979, in Magnolia, Mississippi. She was the youngest of three children. Her father passed away when she was 16 years old. In 1997, she graduated from South Pike High School as the second-highest-ranking student. Butler then attended Jackson State University, where she earned a bachelor's degree in political science in 2001.
Political Career and Leadership
Butler started her career helping workers form unions. She organized nurses in Baltimore and Milwaukee. She also worked with janitors in Philadelphia and hospital staff in New Haven, Connecticut. In 2009, she moved to California. There, she organized caregivers and nurses who work in people's homes. She became president of SEIU United Long Term Care Workers, SEIU Local 2015.
In 2013, Butler was chosen to lead the California SEIU State Council. She worked to increase California's minimum wage. She also pushed for higher income taxes on the wealthiest people in California. As president of SEIU Local 2015, Butler supported Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary. She was one of California's electors who voted for Clinton in the 2016 election.
In 2018, then-California Governor Jerry Brown appointed Butler to a 12-year term. This role was as a regent for the University of California. She left this position in 2021.
Butler also worked at SCRB Strategies, a political consulting firm in California. She helped with Kamala Harris's 2020 presidential campaign. Butler had been a political supporter of Harris since 2010. She also advised Uber on how to work with labor unions. In 2020, Butler left SCRB to join Airbnb. She worked there as a director focusing on public policy in North America.
In 2021, Butler became the third president of EMILY's List. She was the first Black woman and the first mother to lead this organization. In 2022, she joined the board of directors for Vision to Learn, a group that provides free eye exams and glasses to children.
Serving in the U.S. Senate
Appointment to the Senate
In February 2023, U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein announced she would not seek another term. On September 29, 2023, Senator Feinstein passed away at age 90. Several people had already announced they would run for her seat. California Governor Gavin Newsom had promised to appoint a Black woman to the position.
On October 1, 2023, Governor Newsom chose Butler to fill the vacant Senate seat. This fulfilled his promise to appoint a Black woman. Butler had moved to Maryland in 2021. However, the U.S. Constitution only requires senators to live in the state they represent. Newsom's office stated that Butler would re-register to vote in California. After being sworn in, Butler announced she would not run for a full Senate term in 2024. Adam Schiff later won the elections for the seat.
When she was sworn in on October 3, 2023, Butler became a historic figure. She was the first openly Black woman from the LGBTQ community to serve in the U.S. Senate.
Time in Office
Butler gave her first speech on the Senate floor on January 17, 2024. Since February 2024, she has read from banned books on the Senate floor. She does this to highlight the issue of book banning.
In January 2024, Butler voted for a proposal by Bernie Sanders. This proposal aimed to apply human rights rules to U.S. aid given to Israel's military. The proposal did not pass.
Senate Committees
As a U.S. Senator, Butler served on several important committees:
- Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
- Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs
- Committee on the Judiciary (She chaired the Subcommittee on the Constitution.)
- Committee on Rules and Administration
Senate Groups
Butler was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. This group includes African American members of the U.S. Congress.
Personal Life
Laphonza Butler is married to Neneki Lee. They have one daughter. In 2021, they moved to Silver Spring, Maryland. This was when Butler became president of EMILY's List. They still own a home in View Park, California, in Los Angeles County. In October 2023, when she was appointed to the Senate, she moved back to her California home and re-registered to vote there.
See also
In Spanish: Laphonza Butler para niños
- List of African-American United States senators
- List of LGBT members of the United States Congress
- Women in the United States Senate
Images for kids
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Laphonza Butler's signature
