Acting with urgency, Gov. Newsom this week appointed Laphonza Butler, a veteran labor organizer and political strategist, to replace the late Dianne Feinstein in the U.S. Senate.

The move fulfilled a promise Newsom made to elect a black woman, filling a notable void.

With the departure of Vice President Kamala Harris, there were no black women among the 100 members of the August Chamber. Before Butler, there had really only been one

been

two black female senators in the country’s history.

Butler, 44, was sworn in Tuesday by Harris, a friend and former political client. She is the first openly LGBTQ+ person of color to serve in the Senate.

Times columnists Erika D. Smith, Anita Chabria and Mark Z. Barabak discussed the

historical history

— the selections, speculation about Butler’s future and the problems Newson created for himself in filling Feinstein’s seat.

Barabak: So a pretty big deal for California and Newsom. Why isn’t there a more festive atmosphere around our governor?

Chabria: I’m not sure that’s the case, at least behind the scenes. Butler’s appointment was an elegant solution to a major political problem. He didn’t want to upset the representatives. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) or Katie Porter (D-Irvine) or their powerful allies and donors by awarding the seat to Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Oakland).

That was always about Newsom’s political future, not the will of the people, as he claimed.

But as Erika noted, there was a lot of anger that the governor was trying to express

a black female politician to undermine Lee by serving as a senator for a few months and then stepping aside without showing anything.

So Newsom was forced to drop that placeholder idea late in the game, but not before a backlash that left him with few options.

Butler is somewhat of a genius in that regard. She is well-liked in Democratic circles and is powerful nationally, not just in California. The strongest complaint against her so far is that she owns a house in Maryland. I think the governor is probably celebrating.

What do you think, Erika?

Smith: Butler is definitely an inspired choice. She checks a lot of boxes and not just demographically. Her career includes stints in labor, political, business and academic circles. She has had a profound impact on all projects, ultimately improving the lives of California’s working class.

And yes, I love that she’s a Black queer woman in her mid-40s, because I’m also a Black queer woman in my 40s, and it’s nice to finally have some representation in the Senate.

So I’m happy. But that doesn’t mean everyone is happy.

That’s because Newsom’s choice of Butler more or less doomed the campaign of Lee, the 77-year-old black woman who many had hoped would end up in the Senate.

Lee is trailing heavily in the polls to Schiff and Porter, and her run as an incumbent senator could have given her a much-needed boost.

It’s also unclear whether Butler will just finish out Feinstein’s term or run in 2024, meaning the next few months could be the last time

we see a black woman in the Senate from California. The state’s dwindling black population has bred all kinds of pessimism.

So the mood you feel is a mixture of disappointment, excitement and dismay. People love Butler, but they also love Lee, and they are emotionally torn.

Mark, do you think Lee’s supporters have essentially overplayed their hand?

Barabak: I do.

I think it started with an attempt to push aside the ailing Feinstein and then pressure Newsom to appoint Lee, who is far from Feinstein’s political left.

Liberals or progressives, if you preferred never to like Feinstein, and I think they believed, to use Anita’s words, appointing Lee as her replacement would have been an elegant solution.

I do not agree.

For starters, Newsom has already appointed one of our senators, replacing Harris when she became vice president. (It should be noted, however, that Alex Padilla ran for election and won handily last November.)

The governor also selected California’s attorney general and secretary of state.

That’s enough.

If Lee wants to serve in the Senate, she should do exactly what she’s doing: run for the job and try to win the most votes.

But my problem with Newsom goes beyond his periodic appointments.

I think he has royally bungled this entire process, starting with his ill-considered promise in March 2021 to appoint a Black woman to replace Feinstein.

Great intention, poorly executed.

Here’s why: When someone promises to appoint a black woman, or a Latino or chubby white man with a bad comb to a political position, a not insignificant number of people will

only

The reason that person was chosen was because they were a black woman, or a Latino, or a white man with a bad comb.

Newsom could have just appointed Butler, or another Black woman, and praised his selection based on her merits.

But if he hadn’t made that promise, he wouldn’t have gotten the credit he wanted or quelled the anger of black voters dissatisfied with the selection of Padilla whose support he needed as he faced a threatened recall.

And then there is his doubt about whether his appointee would be a caregiver or not. Not a great look.

Anita, should Newsom have chosen a placeholder, or someone who wanted an extended stay in the Senate?

Chabria: I’m going to admit that I’ve done my own flip-flop on this. I was very much in favor of the idea of ​​an administrator for exactly the reasons you outline, Mark. Let the people choose.

But Butler’s appointment has changed my mind: she is powerful and connected, but not a politician.

She has a track record of real world achievement that I can’t help but love. Her work at SEIU has given her a strong sense that America is an aging country and that we need to think ahead on Medicare, Social Security and Medicare to plan for the coming silver tsunami, as she has called it.

I think she will be a great senator with much more to offer than her personal life. I want to see her run and an easy win is not guaranteed here, because she is more than a typical politician, I know what she stands for, and I like it.

Smith: I agree, Anita.

I was never a fan of the trustee idea, and according to a recent UC Berkeley poll, neither were voters.

In fact, I find it insulting. As you noted, Mark, Newsom has appointed numerous people without strings attached. So the governor and his advisors should have known that his decision to appoint someone when it came to appointing a black woman to the Senate was not going to work.

Newsom had no choice but to change his mind, and I’m really glad he did because it gives Butler the opportunity to run if that’s what she wants.

Personally, I hope she does. It will be a tall order, especially considering how late she would be entering the race against some formidable opponents. Butler knows the right people and has the access to raise a lot of money to get serious about it.

What happens to Lee? Don’t know.

Newsom may have botched this by giving in to his worst political instincts by talking about making a decision, rather than just making the decision. But at least it was a good decision in the end.

Barabak: It seems like I’m outvoted on the Janitor front, but that doesn’t matter now. California has a new U.S. Senator and she has the power of the incumbent behind her.

But as you suggest, Erika, getting elected will be a tall order. Not only does Butler have to get used to the Senate, but if she runs, she’ll have to get a campaign going on the fly, repeatedly trudging 2,500 miles back and forth between Washington and California.

I wouldn’t underestimate how difficult it is to become known in a place with almost 40 million inhabitants spread over a huge geographical area.

Plus, Butler doesn’t have much time to decide whether to run.

The primary is March 5, but to be included in the information guide sent to registered voters, Butler must file a declaration of candidate status by November 15.

And if she hopes to win the endorsement of the California Democratic Party, her website lists October 2011. 13 as the deadline for filing the necessary paperwork.

So a decision will have to come fairly quickly, and who knows what Butler will decide.

But I bet Newsom is glad this whole episode is over. Now he can give his undivided attention to next month’s scheduled cage match with his old pest, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.