Her candidacy would have complicated an already crowded race that includes several other prominent Democrats.
Vice President Kamala Harris, right, swears in Laphonza Butler, D-Calif., left, to the Senate to succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein during a re-enactment of the swearing-in ceremony on Tuesday, Oct. 3, 2023, on Capitol Hill in Washington. Butler's wife, Neneki Lee, center, holds the Bible.
“Knowing you can win a campaign doesn't always mean you should run a campaign. I know this will be a surprise to many because traditionally we don't see those who have power let it go,” Butler added. “It may not be the decision people expected, but it's the right one for me.”Her candidacy would have complicated an already crowded race that includes several other prominent Democrats — U.S. Reps.
Schiff, by comparison, has a $32 million head start and an endorsement from former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. While Butler is well known in California Democratic circles, she would be an unknown to many voters.Butler also would have faced uncertain prospects under California election rules, in which only the two candidates who receive the most primary votes advance to the November general election, regardless of party.
As a candidate, Butler would have faced a sensitive prospect competing with Lee, whom Black leaders and political activists had urged Newsom to appoint to the seat after the governor earlier promised to appoint a Black woman should Feinstein's seat become vacant. California has a relatively small Black population at 6%, but those voters make up a core constituency for the Democratic Party.
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