When Dianne Feinstein died in September, she left big shoes to fill. As it turns out, that vacancy ended up shining a light on the gig economy. Here’s the full story.
She Moved In
Long-time California Senator Dianne Feinstein passed away in late September, opening up her congressional seat for the first time in more than 30 years.
She Was Finished
At 90 years old, Feinstein had already made it known that she was wrapping up her long career.
She planned to serve out her latest term but not to run for re-election in 2024.
They Were Making Plans
That advance notice had Democrats and Republicans alike starting to plan for who might be best suited to take on the open seat.
Accelerated Timeline
But the former San Francisco mayor died abruptly on the evening of September 28, just hours after casting her last vote on the Senate floor. Suddenly, there was no time to plan.
Governor on the Clock
The burden to find a replacement for Feinstein post-haste fell on the shoulders of California Governor Gavin Newsom.
An Easy Choice
It didn’t take the Democrat long to figure out who he thought was right for the job.
Brand New Senator
On October 1, Newsom announced on his office’s home page that Laphonza Butler would take Feinstein’s seat and serve out the rest of her Senate term.
She Has Political Swagger
Butler may not be a household name across America, at least not yet, but she’s a bigwig in Democrat circles. She’s especially near and dear to Newsom’s political heart.
She Got Him There
That’s because Butler has helped guide the gubernatorial campaigns of both Newsom and former governor Jerry Brown.
Ties to the Top
Maybe even more significantly, Butler was a senior adviser for Kamala Harris during her 2020 campaign for president before she accepted Joe Biden’s offer to serve as his running mate.
Pro-Choice Supporter
Outside of the campaign arena, Butler has also sharpened her political chops as president of Emily’s List, a liberal political action committee aimed at getting pro-choice women elected to various offices.
She Has Something Extra
But it’s Butler’s “extracurricular” involvement that raised eyebrows and made her different from most any other Senator serving today.
She Was the Boss
In particular, Butler formerly served as president of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), California’s largest union.
Changing Sides
Eventually, she left the healthcare union when she started her consulting career. And that led to her sliding to the other side of the negotiating table.
Working for the New Giants
In her role as a partner with SCRB Strategies, Butler not only represented politicians like Harris and Newsom, she also helped a couple of side-gig giants navigate the new labor landscape.
Turning the Tables
First up was Uber, who Butler assisted in their negotiations and even arguments with drivers over working conditions and pay back in 2019.
Policies for Rent?
Then, in September of 2020, Butler actually left SCRB to take a position with Airbnb as their North American Policy Director.
No One Like Her
While Butler may not have actually driven for Uber or rented out her home through Airbnb, her experiences surely give her a unique perspective.
She’s Seen Some Stuff
As more and more Americans step away from, or are forced out of, traditional jobs and into the gig economy, Butler may be one of the few politicians who have any idea at all about what’s happening in the trenches.
The post Feinstein’s Replacement in Senate Boasts a Unique Background in Tech with Uber & Airbnb first appeared on The Public Slate.
Featured Image Credit: Shutterstock / Rob Crandall. The people shown in the images are for illustrative purposes only, not the actual people featured in the story.