Sen. Laphonza Butler was sworn in by Vice President Kamala Harris with her partner Neneki Lee by her side. (photo courtesy of the office of Vice President Kamala Harris)

California has a new senator, following Sen. Laphonza Butler’s appointment on Oct. 1 by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Butler is the second Black senator from the state, and she is also the first lesbian to represent California in the U.S. Senate.

“I was honored to swear in Laphonza Butler, whom I have been fortunate to work with for many years, as the next senator from California,” Vice President Kamala Harris said following the swearing ceremony on Oct. 3. “As she assumes this role, I know she will work to serve Californians with grit and grace, as she has done throughout her career.”

Butler was most recently the president of EMILY’s List, a Democratic PAC that supports female candidates who champion abortion rights. While Butler has lived with her partner Neneki Lee and daughter in the Maryland area for her job at EMILY’s List, she was previously a California union organizer and a member of the board of regents at the University of California, a position she was appointed to by former Gov. Jerry Brown.

Butler fills the shoes left by Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who was responsible for breaking many glass ceilings. With her death at 90 on Sept. 29, Feinstein left a legacy as the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history, as well as being the longest-serving California senator. Until her last day, she was casting votes in the chamber.

“Sen. Feinstein was a trailblazer on whose shoulders I, and women in elected office all across America, will always stand,” Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said. “She worked harder than anyone I knew on Capitol Hill, and she will be remembered as one of the most effective and impactful senators in American history.”

“She meant the world to me as a glass-ceiling-shattering, pioneering woman in politics – tenacious and unafraid to keep going, relentlessly fighting for equality and human rights,” Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, 3rd District, said. “Her leadership has shaped my life and public service. Her impact is profound and will be felt for generations.”

Earlier this year, Feinstein announced her intention to retire at the end of her fifth senatorial term in 2024, and a host of candidates have thrown their hats in the ring for her seat, including Reps. Katie Porter (D-Irvine) and Adam Schiff (D-Burbank).

“The nation has truly lost a giant of the U.S. Senate, California has lost its trail-blazing leader, and I lost a real friend and mentor,” Schiff said. “Sen. Dianne Feinstein was one of the finest legislators we have ever seen, and her accomplishments made our country and world a better place.”

“She paved the way for a historic number of women to have a seat at the table and a voice in Congress,” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Torrance) said. “I am grateful to have known Sen. Feinstein. It was an honor and a privilege to have worked with her on many issues impacting Californians – including helping our veterans. She had an incredible career guided by a love of our country and American values. We’re a better nation because of her leadership. I join her family, friends and our country in mourning her.”

Prior to her election to the senate in 1992, Feinstein was mayor of San Francisco from 1978-88, a role she took after the assassinations of Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk. Before becoming mayor, she had been a member of San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

“Sen. Feinstein’s grit and heart enabled her to bring her city together after she was thrust into San Francisco’s mayor’s office in the wake of a horrific tragedy,” Bass said.

She became a stalwart supporter of gun control legislation and authored the Federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994. As a senator, she chaired the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Senate Rules Committee, and served on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

“She saved countless lives through her work to keep assault weapons off of our streets, and she was a patriot who boldly stood against the use of torture and, in doing so, reminded America what we are supposed to stand for,” Bass said “She loved all of California, and led landmark legislation to create Death Valley National Park, Joshua Tree National Park and protect millions of acres across our desert landscape representing the largest effort to protect public lands in the lower 48 states.”

Feinstein was also in the trenches of the AIDS crisis, helping to secure funding for research and treatment. She assisted with secure funding for the expansion of Metro.

“I hope when the Wilshire subway extension opens, we will all take a moment to thank Dianne Feinstein for believing in L.A. and fighting for our transit dreams,” former Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said.

During the last year, Feinstein had a series of health issues, including a bout with shingles. After an absence, she had returned to the senate and spent her last few months working in Washington, D.C.

“She was a fighter – for the city, the state and the country she loved,” Newsom said. “Every race she won, she made history, but her story wasn’t just about being the first woman in a particular political office, it was what she did for California, and for America, with that power once she earned it. That’s what she should be remembered for.”

“Sen. Dianne Feinstein represented a world of possibility for women in leadership,” West Hollywood Mayor Sepi Shyne said. “She went on to leave a legacy of fighting for equity and justice for all.”