Undemocracy: Senators From Other States

Newly appointed Sen. Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.) talks about her predecessor, the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), after attending her first Senate Democratic policy luncheon at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on Oct. 4, 2023. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Commentary

It’s nice work if you can get it—a free appointment to the U.S. Senate. California Gov. Gavin Newsom has raised new questions about the appointment process in his naming of Laphonza Butler to replace Sen. Diane Feinstein after her recent death.