EMILY’S List Ex-Head Now Serves With Senators She Aided, Opposed
Laphonza Butler, the Senate’s newest member, arrived on Capitol Hill having never won public office but bringing plenty of political ties, both pro and con, to dozens of her fellow lawmakers.
While Butler was president of EMILY’s List, which boosts Democratic women candidates who support abortion rights, the organization helped steer $28 million to support current lawmakers and $7.7 million against some of Butler’s new colleagues, according to a Bloomberg Government analysis of campaign finance reports.
Having served at the helm of a group that helped, or hindered, new colleagues’ campaigns in the 2022 cycle, makes for an unusual foundation as Butler, who was appointed to replace the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, begins her work as California’s junior senator. Butler became president of EMILY’s List in September 2021.
“Senator Butler hopes to work collaboratively with all her colleagues, including those she might not always agree with,” said a spokesperson, Matthew Wing, in an email. “She remains steadfastly proud of her work with EMILY’s List to ensure Democratic pro-choice women can run, win and lead.”
Butler said she will not seek the Senate seat in next year’s elections. Already three high-profile House Democratic members from the state are vying for the job: Katie Porter, who received EMILY’s List support in 2022; Barbara Lee; and Adam Schiff. EMILY’s List has not endorsed anyone in that race so far.
EMILY’s List raised and spent about $68 million in the 2022 cycle, according to Federal Election Commission disclosures. That was down from about $80 million in 2020 and $70 million in 2018.
Women Vote, a super PAC connected to EMILY’s List, raised and spent nearly $35 million in 2022, down from the almost $47 million it raised and spent in 2020 and the $40 million it raised and spent in 2018.
During Butler’s two-year tenure with the group, overlapping with much of the 2021-2022 campaigns, EMILY’s List, and its affiliated super PAC Women Vote, helped boost Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) with a total of nearly $19 million in donations and outside expenditures.
Opposition Party
On the flip side, EMILY’s List spent heavily against Sen. Tedd Budd (R-N.C.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.). Both senators beat Democratic candidates who were Black women. Butler is the third Black woman to ever serve in the chamber, and the only one currently serving; she is also a member of the LGBTQ community.
Budd, who won his race by 3 points, declined comment. Rubio’s office did not respond to a request for comment; he won by more than 16 points.
“I think it could be quite awkward to have colleagues, in the case of someone like Ted Budd, her employer, the organization she led, authorized, like, millions of funding against his candidacy,” said Katie Daniel, state policy director of the anti-abortion rights Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America. “I’m not sure he’ll be doing a lot of bipartisan bills together with her, but perhaps he can see past that.”
Daniel’s group opposed Butler’s nomination by California Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat, and she said it spoke to how “entrenched” the party is with abortion-rights activism and fundraising.
After Butler’s departure from EMILY’s List, the group put Jessica Mackler, the group’s vice president of federal and gubernatorial campaigns, in the role of interim president.
“At EMILYs List, our mission is to elect Democratic pro-choice women and we use every tool at our disposal to help them win, including communicating directly with voters,” said Christina Reynolds, EMILY’s List senior vice president of communications and content, in a statement. “We are proud of our work, as we know that when Democratic pro-choice women run and win, they change the world.”
Even House members used Butler’s move to the Senate to draw attention to past campaign efforts by EMILY’s List. Some used it to try to gin up donations to their own campaigns.
Fundraising Fodder
“The Democrats’ newest Senator labeled me as a top target to defeat in 2024 because I am not afraid to stand up for life,” said Rep. Ashley Hinson (R-Iowa) on X, formerly Twitter, earlier this month. “I am never going to back down from this fight.” She included a link to her fundraising page.
Other House members that EMILY’s List worked against in the 2022 campaign include Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar (Texas), who beat a primary challenge from EMILY’s List-backed candidate Jessica Cisneros.
EMILY’s List also spent big in 2022 to help Rep. Haley Stevens (D-Mich.), who beat fellow Rep. Andy Levin in a primary and went on to prevail over Republican challenger, Mark Ambrose, in the general election.
Butler’s Senate role, fundraising and campaign experience at EMILY’s List, along with her previous corporate consulting and union organizing, are seen as assets should she decide to seek other elective office in the future.
“It wasn’t just any organization she was the head of, she was the head of EMILY’s List,” said Nicole Venable, a lobbyist with the firm Invariant, who has known Butler through an organization called the Black Girl Magic Network. “It is a political juggernaut.”
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