Laphonza Butler was sworn in Tuesday to replace late California Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, as speculation swirls about her intent to seek a full term next year.
Butler, who was appointed by Golden State Gov. Gavin Newsom, took the oath of office and received a standing ovation from her new Senate colleagues after a swearing-in ceremony presided over by Vice President Kamala Harris.
The Democrat has been a Silver Spring, Maryland, resident since 2021, FEC filings and public records show.
She moved to the Washington, DC, region to become the president of Emily’s List, a political action committee dedicated to electing Democratic female candidates who support abortion.
Butler maintained a residence in California from 2009 to 2021, according to records, but a spokesperson for Newsom previously told The Post that she recently re-registered to vote in the Golden State.
Her X account, formerly known as Twitter, and Wikipedia page both stated that she lived in Maryland, with the latter being quickly edited to reflect her ties to Los Angeles.
The social media scrubbing could leave Butler open to criticisms from opponents of being a “carpetbagger” — but she has declined to say whether she will seek election next year.
The governor celebrated her appointment on Tuesday, saying she would “make history as California’s first openly LGBTQ United States Senator and the first Black lesbian to openly serve in Congress in American history.”
“An advocate for women and girls, a second-generation fighter for working people and a trusted adviser to Vice President Harris, Laphonza Butler represents the best of California, and she’ll represent us proudly in the United States Senate,” Newsom said in a statement.
“As we mourn the enormous loss of Senator Feinstein, the very freedoms she fought for — reproductive freedom, equal protection, and safety from gun violence — have never been under greater assault.”
Newsom ruled out nominating any of the declared contenders for Feinstein’s seat in the Democratic primary, including state Reps. Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee and Katie Porter.
President Biden also called Butler to congratulate her on her appointment to the Senate, the White House announced.
Butler worked for Harris’ failed 2020 presidential campaign and at the Service Employees International Union for nearly two decades and briefly as a director at Airbnb before being elevated to president of Emily’s List.
Feinstein died of natural causes at her DC home last Thursday, according to her office, hours after casting her last vote in the upper chamber.
She was hospitalized earlier this year due to a case of shingles, suffered facial paralysis from Ramsay Hunt syndrome and even contracted encephalitis before returning to Capitol Hill in May, the New York Times reported.
After returning, Feinstein was occasionally seen disoriented and denying that she had been absent. Aides often helped her around in a wheelchair — and sometimes barred reporters from interacting with her.
The eldest daughter of Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Nancy Corinne Prowda, was also seen at the senator’s side — in what some saw as a power move given the former House speaker’s endorsement of Schiff to run in 2024.
Newsom had been expected to potentially choose Lee to replace Feinstein after he pledged to replace the long-time Democratic female senator with a black woman.
Lee posted on X that she was “singularly focused on winning” her 2024 campaign for Senate following the slight, saying that California “deserves an experienced senator who will deliver on progressive priorities.”
Newsom previously appointed California Secretary of State Alex Padilla to replace Harris after she was elected vice president along with President Biden in 2020.
Butler is now the only black female senator in the upper chamber. The deadline for her to file paperwork for a potential 2024 run is Dec. 8.