CNN’s political commentator Errol Louis said Monday that Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s pick to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein is an example of “identity politics taken to an extreme.”
Newsom will appoint Laphonza Butler, the president of the left-wing, pro-abortion political group EMILY’s List, to replace Feinstein, Politico according to reports. Newsom previously pledged to nominate a black woman to replace Feinstein.
Louis said Newsom was “playing…politics” with the decision.
“Gavin Newsom was playing California politics and outside of, you know, San Francisco, not even the whole Bay Area, outside of San Francisco this may not make sense. It may seem like identity politics sort of taken to an extreme. I mean he really sort of announced in advance what the criteria would be and the criteria didn’t necessarily make a lot of sense in terms of getting one of the candidates over the finish line,” Louis said. (RELATED: ‘Deep, Deep Voodoo’: Larry Elder Breaks Down The Democrats’ Dilemma With Feinstein’s Seat)
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“He’s decided both that it was going to be a black woman he was going to appoint but that it wouldn’t be anybody who was currently running. That it would be a caretaker position. You know, there’s a lot of different ways to do your politics. That wasn’t necessarily the best way from a governance standpoint, for his politics, again, his California politics, well sure.”
Newsom’s decision to choose Butler was not contingent on Butler declining to run in 2024.
Democratic Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter and Barbara Lee are vying for Feinstein’s senate seat, though Butler could also choose to run in 2024.
Butler is the president of EMILY’s List, which dedicates itself to electing pro-abortion Democratic women.
Feinstein died at her Washington, D.C., home on Thursday at the age of 90. An official cause of death has not been released.