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California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) threw the race for the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein’s seat in the U.S. Senate into turmoil on Monday when he confirmed that newly-appointed Laphonza Butler can run in 2024 if she likes.
Feinstein passed away last week at the age of 90. But she had already signaled earlier in the year that she planned to retire at the end of her term in January 2025. Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee had all entered the race, along with several Republicans.
Butler, 44, was until recently a Maryland resident, and is a left-wing Democratic insider who has headed EMILYs list, which seeks to elect pro-choice women to public office.