Vice President Harris Swears In Laphonza Butler to Replace Sen. Feinstein

In a historical first, the president of the pro-abortion group Emily’s List became the first black, lesbian US senator.

Emily's List President Laphonza Butler addresses a Biden-Harris campaign rally at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington on June 23, 2023, on the first anniversary of the Supreme Court's Dobbs v. Jackson decision, which returned regulation of abortion to the states. Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Vice President Kamala Harris has sworn in Laphonza Butler as the first black, female U.S. senator. The ceremony took place on the Senate floor on Oct. 3.

On Oct. 1, California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, announced that Ms. Butler would succeed the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), who died at the age of 90.