Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), who took Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s place earlier this month, declared on Thursday that she would not seek re-election to the Senate for a full term in 2019.
During her first few weeks in the upper chamber, Butler acknowledged to The New York Times that the position “is not the greatest use of my voice.”
“I’ve always believed elected leaders should have real clarity about why they’re in office and what they want to do with the responsibility and power they have. I’ve spent the past 16 days pursuing my own clarity — what kind of life I want to have, what kind of service I want to offer and what kind of voice I want to bring forward,” Butler said.
“After considering those questions I’ve decided not to run for a full term in the U.S. Senate. 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. It may not be the decision people expected but it’s the right one for me.” she continued.
In order to accept the choice of California Governor Gavin Newsom (D) to succeed Feinstein, who was a titan in the Democratic Party and California politics for more than three decades, Butler just resigned from her position as president of EMILY’s List.
Reps. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Katie Porter (D-Calif.), and Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) are among the Democratic candidates for the position.
Former first baseman for the San Diego Padres and Los Angeles Dodgers, Steve Garvey, has declared his candidacy as a Republican for the next jungle primary.
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