Following the announcement by California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 1 that Laphonza Butler would take the Senate seat left vacant by the death of 90-year-old Sen. Dianne Feinstein on Sept. 28, critics immediately raised alarms about the nominee’s place of residency, as she lives and is registered to vote in Maryland.
Article I of the Constitution regulates the eligibility of individuals for the position of senator by requiring that all be at least 30 years old and have nine years or more of citizenship, both qualifications that Ms. Butler meets.
