Interim Senator Laphonza Butler was confident she could win a full term in the Senate in next year’s elections. But she came to the conclusion that it wasn’t worth it for her. This was both unusual and refreshing.

People

especially politicians

normally don’t give up power without a fight, especially soon after acquiring it. And the Senate is the pinnacle of legislative power in America.

But sometimes it is wise to voluntarily give up power. So kudos to Butler, 44, a career union leader and Democratic activist.

By resisting the temptation to seek a full six-year term in the Senate

the seat of the late Senator Dianne Feinstein

Butler has done himself, the Democratic Party and the citizens of California a huge favor.

This is what I mean:

Successful political campaigns can not only take enormous amounts of time and energy, but can also become nasty and personal. Butler can now escape that trauma.

The Democratic Party of California therefore wants to prevent unnecessary bloodletting. And the party will save money.

Campaign donations

of individuals, trade unions and other interest groups

can now help finance competitive contests where control of Congress is at stake, rather than going to Butler in a race that will almost certainly be won by some Democrat.

Californians will benefit from being represented in Washington by a full-time senator

rather than, essentially, a part-timer focused on recruiting campaign donors and competing in a highly competitive contest on the other side of the continent, where she is unknown outside political circles. She can concentrate her attention on the job of Gov. Gavin Newsom gave her: temporarily filling in for Feinstein.

Butler was advised by political advisers that she could win a full term. And she believed them, according to a person close to her who requested anonymity.

She had several political advantages, Butler was told. They include:

The current candidate crop is not setting the world on fire. Many voters are undecided. There is room for another Democratic candidate.

Schuur has the advantage of an established position. That includes being listed as a senator on the ballot, being able to talk about the Senate’s performance and being able to raise campaign money from interests based on her power in the Senate.

As the former president of California’s powerful 700,000-member Service Employees International Union, she has a strong labor base, which is especially important when competing with other Democrats.

Many people are angry about career politicians. Among Democratic and independent voters, she stood out from other candidates as a fresh new face and a black lesbian, the first LGBTQ+ senator from California.

Did Butler really think she could win? Yes, the insider told me. If she managed to marshal the resources and get her message across, it was a winning formula.

Bill Carrick, Feinstein’s longtime strategist who has not been involved in the race, agrees that Butler could have been a player. Shed had a chance. Even though she never applied for an elective.

Why? Because none of the major Democratic candidates

Representatives Adam B. Schiff of Burbank, Katie Porter of Irvine and Barbara Lee of Oakland

have been running a statewide campaign in California. Their election contests all took place in small districts.

No one knows these people very well, says Carrick. Right now the race is wide open

with or without Laphonza in it.

She is a very good speaker. She has charisma. She is articulate and smart. Very capable.

She should hurry to get the money quickly, he adds. But she could have participated in that.

Maybe $25

million

Butler should have raised up to $30 million in the four months before California’s March 5 primary. That’s not a lot of time.

Another veteran consultant who has managed statewide campaigns in California was skeptical that Butler could have won.

I think she would have had a really hard time even getting into it [top-two November] With just four months to build a campaign, raise millions of dollars and then convince voters that someone they’ve never heard of is the best choice for senator, says this strategist, who is not involved in the campaign and requests anonymity.

But it’s all moot.

Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you have to run a campaign, Butler said in her statement as she bowed out.

The senator did not want to elaborate further. But the insider told me she felt like running in a major state for the first time would be like having a second full-time job. And if she wanted to accomplish anything in the Senate, she had to be aware and focused on that.

There were also family considerations. Butler has one

nine

9 year old daughter. If she served the next seven years in the Senate, she wouldn’t be able to be a full-time parent.

Moreover, she has already been attacked for her previous private advice for Uber and Airbnb, two labor opponents. Who needs that?

There was immediate speculation that Butler could run for governor in 2026. I do not believe in it. That’s just impractical. Shed must make a big impression during her first year as senator.

Butler made the right decision to resume her non-politician career.

She won’t be ticking off the current Democratic candidates, one of whom will be California’s next senator. She will not become a political target, which could potentially tarnish her

steller

constellation. Shell continues to burnish her already impressive resume with the title of senator, an invaluable selling point for future job interviews. Shell

probably probably

making millions without making any enemies.

In her statement, Butler said she has 383 days left as a senator. She added: Muhammad Ali once said: Don’t count the days, make the days count. I plan to do just that.

To many, that may sound like political nonsense. From here it sounds legit and refreshing.