SACRAMENTO - Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the appointment of Senator-elect Adam Schiff to complete the remaining U.S. Senate term of Senator Laphonza Butler following her resignation.

Senator Butler announced her resignation effective December 8, 2024, to ensure Californians have their duly elected representative seated as soon as possible. Senator-elect Schiff, who won election to a full term beginning in January, is expected to be sworn in on Monday, December 9, 2024.

“When Senator Laphonza Butler took her seat in the Senate a year ago, she brought with her a lifetime of lessons learned from organizing and advocating for opportunity and justice. In just a short time, she has left an indelible mark - proving that true leadership isn’t measured by the length of service, but by the depth of impact.

“Laphonza has never shied away from fighting for what’s right. She works not for recognition, but for the greater good - a commitment that began long before her time in the Senate and will continue well beyond it. 

“Thank you, Senator Butler, for your dedication and service and for honoring the life and legacy of the late Dianne Feinstein, a legacy I’m confident Senator-elect Schiff will also carry forward.”  - Governor Gavin Newsom

In October 2023, Governor Newsom appointed Butler - the former President of the nation’s largest organization dedicated to electing women, EMILY’s List - to complete the U.S. Senate term of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein. Butler, a longtime senior adviser to Vice President Kamala Harris, labor leader, and advocate for women and working people, was the first openly LGBTQ person to represent California in the U.S. Senate. She was also the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history and the third Black woman to serve in the U.S. Senate. 

During her Senate tenure, Senator Butler championed policies to strengthen worker protections, raise wages, expand affordable housing, and create economic opportunities for all Californians.

The text of the Proclamation of Appointment for Senator-elect Schiff can be found here.