California Governor Gavin Newsom moved quickly to name the replacement for Senator Dianne Feinstein, putting an end to rumors that two high-powered celebs could be tabbed.
The seat was vacated when the 90-year-old Democrat died last week, opening up the spot that she held for over three decades and putting Newsom in a position where he would be under intense pressure to deliver on his pledge to use race as the deciding criteria to choose the local legend’s replacement.
Fans of Meghan Markle and Oprah Winfrey will be disappointed after the ambitious Newsom announced that he had chosen black lesbian Dem political strategist Laphonza Butler to serve out the remainder of Feinstein’s term which expires next year.
I’m proud to announce California’s new United States Senator — Laphonza Butler.
As we mourn the enormous loss of Sen. Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault.… pic.twitter.com/SOnbfVPmXj
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) October 2, 2023
“As we mourn the enormous loss of Sen. Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault,” Newsom said in a statement. “Laphonza has spent her entire career fighting for women and girls and has been a fierce advocate for working people.”
“She will make history — becoming the first Black lesbian to openly serve in the U.S. Senate,” added Newsom, checking off multiple boxes that will placate the critical elements of the party’s base that he can’t afford to alienate if he hopes to run for president next year if the party pulls the plug on malfunctioning President Joe Biden.
Newsom had boxed himself in by committing to replace the aging Feinstein with a black woman but was able to thread the needle with his choice of Butler, the president of the left-wing activist organization EMILY’s List.
Newsom’s choice of Butler ends the speculation that the entertainment mogul or the Duchess of Sussex would be called upon to replace DiFi with the news being a blow to the attention-starved Markle and her legions of adoring admirers.
According to the Daily Mail, a major Democratic Party donor who is close to the governor said “Meghan is definitely a long-shot but in the craziness that is US politics these days it’s not an impossibility. Crazier things have happened.” Markle and her husband Prince Harry reside in Montecito where they moved to put some distance between themselves and the UK’s royal family.
The outlet quoted an unnamed senior Labour Party source who said that Markle was “networking among senior Democrats” to build a grassroots organization with the White House as her ultimate objective.
The Duchess of Sussex reportedly also enjoys a close relationship with Gloria Steinem with a friend of the left-wing feminist icon telling the Daily Mail that “Gloria has been introducing Meghan to pivotal people within the party.”
“Meghan is interested in politics more than anything else. That’s where she believes her power is but she has had to focus on making money,” the friend said, according to the outlet.
Winfrey’s name was previously floated as an option and was again being mentioned by some media outlets as a potential choice to be a placeholder.
Newsom’s choice also extricates him from the delicate position of appearing to pick favorites from a trio of California House Democrats who have been circling like vultures waiting for DiFi to die with Reps. Barbara Lee, Adam Schiff, and Katie Porter vying for the open seat.
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