Former union leader and Democratic insider Laphonza Butler was sworn in as the newest member of the Senate on Tuesday, replacing California Sen. Dianne Feinstein after her death and becoming only the third Black female senator in history. The first was Democratic Sen. Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, who served one term in the 1990s. She was a giant in California politics, having been the first female mayor of San Francisco and a force in the state's Democratic circles. In the Senate, Feinstein was the first female chairwoman of the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first female top Democrat on the Senate Judiciary Committee. "Laphonza will carry the baton left by Sen. Feinstein (and) continue to break glass ceilings and fight for all Californians in Washington D.C.," Newsom said.

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Persons: Kamala Harris, Laphonza Butler, Dianne Feinstein, Neneki Lee, California Sen, Butler, Gavin Newsom, Feinstein, Joe Biden, Democratic Sen, Carol Moseley Braun, Steven Horsford, Newsom, Harris, Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, Barbara Lee, Uber, Sen, Alex Padilla, Barbara Boxer, Moseley Braun, Sen . Feinstein Organizations: Senate, Capitol, Democratic, California Gov, Carol Moseley Braun of Illinois, Congressional, Caucus, CBC, House Democrats, California, Senate Intelligence, Washington D.C Locations: U.S, Washington , U.S, California, Washington, Carol Moseley Braun of, Butler, San Francisco