Laphonza Romanique Butler (/ləˈfɔːnzə/ lə-FON-zə; born May 11, 1979) is an American labor union official and politician who served as a United States senator from California from 2023 to 2024.

Butler began her career as a union organizer, and served as president of California SEIU State Council from 2013 to 2018.

[4][7] Butler began her career as a union organizer for nurses in Baltimore and Milwaukee, janitors in Philadelphia, and hospital workers in New Haven, Connecticut.

She undertook efforts to boost California's minimum wage and raise income taxes on the wealthiest Californians.

[7] As president of SEIU Local 2015, Butler endorsed Hillary Clinton in the 2016 Democratic presidential primary.

[16] Butler left SCRB in 2020 to join Airbnb as director of public policy and campaigns in North America.

[22] On October 1, 2023, Newsom chose Butler to fill the Senate seat left vacant by Feinstein's death, fulfilling his pledge to appoint a black woman.

[26] Shortly before nominating Butler, Newsom announced that his nominee would be free to run in 2024 if they chose,[27] a departure from his previous position.

[34][35] In January 2024, Butler voted for a resolution proposed by Bernie Sanders to apply the human rights provisions of the Foreign Assistance Act to U.S. aid to Israel's military.

[40] They moved to Silver Spring, Maryland, in 2021 when she assumed the presidency of EMILY's List,[41][42] while continuing to own a home in View Park, California, in Los Angeles County.