Laphonza Butler, the incoming California senator selected by Gov. Gavin Newsom (D‑CA), has scrubbed references to her Maryland connections from her bio on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Butler’s bio on X had said she was located in Maryland, but as of Monday morning, her location has been removed.
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Butler’s appointment to the California Senate seat comes after Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein died at 90 on Friday. Newsom’s appointment of Butler comes after he promised the next senator he appointed would be a black woman. She is also the first lesbian black woman in Congress.
Beyond social media, Butler’s registration records indicate she lives in Silver Spring, Maryland, with her mailing address the same as her residential.
Butler is also the president of EMILY’s List, described as the “nation’s largest resource dedicated to electing Democratic pro-choice women to office.” On Sunday night, the newest California senator’s biography on the EMILY’s List website listed that “Laphonza grew up in Magnolia, MS, and attended one of the country’s premier HBCUs, Jackson State University. She lives in Maryland with her partner Neneki Lee and their daughter Nylah.” As of 7 a.m. Monday, the organization has removed the line that she lives in Maryland.
On social media, Butler s …