Dianne Feinstein successor Laphonza Butler shares her vision for California’s future, avoids question on 2024 Senate election

Butler attended Fortune’s Most Powerful Women summit on Monday, her first public appearance since taking her Senate seat.

Butler spoke to senior writer Emma Hinchliffe about her plans in California and dodged questions about a 2024 Senate race.

Watch the video above or read the full transcript below.

Ellie Austin: I am deeply honored to be here tonight with the newest members of the United States Senate. As you all know, Senator Laphonza Butler was sworn in just last week to fill the seat left by Dianne Feinstein, now the late Dianne Feinstein , Senator Butler clearly has a big hole to fill, but she has an incredible resume that reflects her experience serving the people of California to name just a few of her treatments. She has a long history of working in state politics. She is a renowned strategist in high-stakes campaigns. For more than a decade, she led California’s largest union. Most recently, she served as president of Emily’s List, an organization dedicated to supporting pro-life Democratic female candidates. With her appointment to the U.S. Senate, she is making history as Senator Butler is the first openly lesbian black senator to serve in Congress. She is also the only black woman currently serving in the Senate.Senator Butler joins us tonight to speak with Fortune’s Emma Hinchliffe

Emma Hinchliffe: Hello, Senator, thank you so much for being with us.

LaFonza Butler: Good night, fortune.

Emma Hinchliffe: The last time you were with us at an MPW event, not that long ago, you were the chair of Emily’s List, working to elect Democratic women. You are here today as a United States Senator. Is this on your vision board?

LaFonza Butler: Not on my vision board, not on my bingo card. This was not my ancestors’ wildest dreams. Did I ever believe that I would be the third black woman to serve in the United States?

Emma Hinchliffe: So, Senator, can you walk us through the past week? When did you get the call? Did you see it coming? Have you ever considered saying no.

LaFonza Butler: I don’t believe anyone can imagine what the last six days of my life were like when I got the call on Saturday while I was at the home of a supporter and community member in Colorado doing my work for Emily’s List job, the governor called that Saturday. You may remember that at the time, just last weekend, we were facing an impending government shutdown. The governor didn’t give me much time to think and make phone calls, and there was no option to call as friends. And, I was able to talk to my wife and we were honored to be asked to serve in the seat that Dianne Feinstein held. When you think about her contribution to female leadership in this country, whether it’s in public office or in business, raising her hand to lead in times of crisis. This is not something you can say no to. So as much as I love working at Emily’s List. This is my chance to raise my hand again at a time of crisis for our country. I don’t compare it to Senator Feinstein myself. But in that moment, my family and I were put in front of our faces. We choose to raise our hands.

Emma Hinchliffe: Yes. You know, let’s talk about Senator Feinstein’s legacy. When you stepped into this role, what parts of it were you aware of that were most focused on your thoughts? What do you want to bring?

LaFonza Butler: Look, if I try to measure my service to Senator Feinstein, I’m going to fail. She brings a lot to California. People don’t know that the Amber Alert was Sen. Dianne Feinstein. correct. So she’s always thinking about the safety and security of our communities, the future of our young people, whether that’s through transportation or through her commitment to water, our state’s water crisis and the environment, and her creations and like all of that, she’s involved in Congresswoman Dianne Feinstein has been fighting for our federal park, Joshua Tree. So I don’t have the audacity to believe that I can contribute as much as this senator has done in her decades of service. My life has been a role model for women and girls and their economic empowerment. I want to continue to do that, whether it’s as a labor leader, fighting for higher wages, raising wages, helping to raise the minimum wage, and providing sick leave and paid time off for the state’s caregivers, who as of 2016 were No vacation. Or working out at Emily’s List or working at Airbnb, I feel like I have an opportunity to serve women’s economic empowerment, women’s political power. This is another opportunity for me to do that. And do it in the spirit of Senator Feinstein.

Emma Hinchliffe: Astonishing. Well, you know, as we know, you are the third Black woman to serve in the Senate and the first openly gay Black woman to serve in the Senate. What do these milestones mean to you personally? How do you feel about them?

LaFonza Butler: That’s it, I just know how to be a black woman. I don’t know how to be anyone else. So, I don’t know how to lead any other way. So I think these milestones really mean something to me and hopefully set an example for other black women, other lesbians, and other people who just want to live life on their own terms. While I hope it means something a little bit similar to the offer, do you?

Emma Hinchliffe: Completely and relevantly, you are not only the first Black woman in the U.S. Senate, you are currently the only Black woman. There’s also the vice president, but you’re the only senator. You know, how does it feel when you step onto the Senate floor?

LaFonza Butler: I can’t say what I said before, can I? It’s not lost on me that there’s Carole Moseley Braun, and there’s Kamala Harris. Now it’s LaFonza Butler. You know, I’m sworn in. I was sworn in last Tuesday, and this year my mother celebrated her 70th birthday. It was August and I thought I was on to something big like making her our first mother daughter, except I had two older brothers. Our first mother-daughter trip was just the two of us. Mom, we want to get rid of all these 70 things. And then I saw her for the first time in my life at the U.S. Capitol in the state capital. I met her with Senator Cory Booker. I met with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. I like to call it, you’re living your best MSNBC life, girl.

We all love that I grew up in a small town in Mississippi and I went to a historically black college. I never thought that one day I would recognize and see the pride in my mother’s eyes as she stepped forward to shake the Vice President’s hand while the Vice President took the oath that her daughter, her youngest child, would become the third person in the Black women serving in this institution. The historic chamber, so that means a lot to me. I think it means a lot to my family.I thought this might make some sense to my nine-year-old daughter who chose not to attend the swearing-in ceremony because she wanted to go camping

Emma Hinchliffe: Is she having fun?

LaFonza Butler: This was the first time she was able to camp without her parents.

Emma Hinchliffe: and experience her first time

LaFonza Butler: I know right? I said, so Nila’s mother did this. But you can know; do you want to do this? Or do you want to go camping? She said “Oh no, I’m going to camp” and I said “Well, the Vice President will be there” and she said, “Well, tell her what I said”

Emma Hinchliffe: That’s incredible.

LaFonza Butler: I hope this means something to a young girl who may not be my daughter, but I hope it proves that anything is possible. When we can imagine together, we have more possibilities, even when we can’t. That’s my hope.

Emma Hinchliffe: Well, thank you very much, Senator. So, Diane Feinstein is 90 years old, you’re much younger than that. Are you concerned about the aging of political leadership? Do you think this is the direction we should be heading?

LaFonza Butler: Which direction?

Emma Hinchliffe: A younger direction?

LaFonza Butler: Well, as mentioned in previous conversations, I think we have no choice but to go in a younger direction. But I would say, look, we’re in a time now, and I think the gift for me is being able to learn from Senator Feinstein, and my gift is being able to see Speaker Pelosi have great leadership. I think the opportunity for our generation of leaders is, so to see how leadership is demonstrated, learn all the tools and tricks of the trade, and be able to listen very clearly to the message that future generations are conveying. After me, I’ve been Thinking about my Millennial nature and true responsibility is to be a transmission act. The same is true at every turn and every evolution of leadership, there is always a passing of the baton. On Emily’s List I took the baton from Ellen Malcolm and she passed it to Stephanie Schrick who passed it to me and I was the first to serve ’s black woman and leader of Emily’s List. So, is this the direction we should go? Absolutely. We cannot achieve representation and inclusion without representation and inclusion. We should take this opportunity to learn from those who have led before us so that we can do better next time.

Emma Hinchliffe: Yes, you know, you join the United States Senate during what might be called a tumultuous time, from the threat of shutdown to now the conflict in Israel. You know, when you step into this role and experience so much that’s going on in our country and in the world, while working in different areas and getting things done, what do you feel like you bring to the table?

LaFonza Butler: Yeah, I think that’s a very, very good question. I thought a lot about this when the governor contacted me. I think my California story and my experiences in California are things that I can offer leadership in this moment, and California’s story is one of such great innovation and hope. We are all too aware of the economic inequality that exists in our state. We have some incredible innovations in policy on the environment, electric vehicles, water, transport, fascinating pathways into the future and more. As a symbol of hope in policy, people, and spaces of connection, California taught me and my work in California, you know, how to tap into one of the world’s greatest melting pots and find common ground and build coalitions. I think the young people, and everyone between the senior saints, would have us believe that, you know, the thing is the government is broken and no one is talking to each other. The only way we can pass a $15 minimum wage in California is through the coalition. It’s not just the labor movement, it’s small business. Not just small businesses but nonprofits, everyone has a role to play in finding what works for California.So I think trying to build these coalitions to make big changes in one of the most dynamic places and economies in the country is, dare I say, an asset that I can bring to the table that will serve me well in the United States.

Emma Hinchliffe: So, is this a temporary job for you?

LaFonza Butler: To me this was our early work. It’s day six now. I did go through onboarding, which was usually three days and four hours or so. So, I would say it was an early job for me. But my life has been dedicated to service, and that is my commitment.

Emma Hinchliffe: Well, thank you very much, Senator. It’s incredible that you are here.