Butler seemed at Fortune’s Maximum Tough Ladies Summit on Monday, in her first public look since taking the Senate seat.

Butler advised Emma Hinchliffe, senior creator, about her plans for California—and have shyed away from questions in regards to the 2024 Senate race.

Watch the video above or learn the overall transcript under.

Ellie Austin: I’m very venerated to have with us this night time, the most recent member of america Senate. As you all know, Senator Laphonza Butler was once sworn in simply closing week to fill the seat left through Dianne Feinstein, the past due Dianne Feinstein now, Senator Butler clearly has very giant footwear to fill, however she comes with a surprisingly spectacular resume reflecting her revel in serving the folks of California to call a couple of of her remedies. She has an extended historical past in running within the state’s politics. She’s a well known strategist in prime stakes campaigns. She led California’s biggest hard work union for over a decade. And just lately she served as president of Emily’s Listing, a company that works to beef up pro-choice Democratic ladies applicants. And together with her appointment to america Senate, she’s making historical past as a result of Senator Butler is the primary brazenly lesbian Black senator to serve in Congress. And he or she may be the one Black lady lately serving within the Senate. Senator Butler joins us this night for a dialog with Fortune’s Emma Hinchliffe 

Emma Hinchliffe: Hi, Senator, thanks such a lot for being right here with us.

Laphonza Butler: Just right night time Fortune.

Emma Hinchliffe: So closing time you had been with us at an MPW match, which was once no longer that way back, you had been the president of Emily’s Listing running to elect Democratic ladies. Nowadays you’re right here as a US senator. Used to be this for your imaginative and prescient board?

Laphonza Butler: Now not on my imaginative and prescient board no longer on my bingo card. Now not within the wildest goals of my ancestors. Did I ever imagine that I can be the 3rd Black lady to serve in america.

Emma Hinchliffe: So, Senator, are you able to stroll us during the previous week? When did you get the decision? Did you spot it coming? Did you believe announcing no.

Laphonza Butler: I don’t imagine that any one may believe what the closing six days of my lifestyles were like I were given the decision on a Saturday, I used to be doing my paintings for Emily’s Listing on the house of considered one of our supporters and neighborhood individuals in Colorado and the governor known as on that Saturday. You all may recall at the moment, simply closing weekend, we had been going through an drawing close govt shutdown. And the governor didn’t have lots of time for me to suppose via and contact, there have been no telephone a pal choice. And, however I used to be ready to talk to my spouse and we had been venerated to be requested to serve within the seat that Dianne Feinstein held. While you consider what she introduced to this nation for ladies in management, whether or not in public workplace or in trade, elevating her hand to steer in a time of disaster. It’s no longer one thing that you just say no to. So up to I’ve loved immensely my paintings at Emily’s Listing. It was once a chance for me to once more carry my hand at a second of disaster for our nation. I don’t liken it myself to Senator Feinstein. Nevertheless it was once a second that I used to be that was once installed entrance of me to steer and my circle of relatives. We selected to boost our hand.

Emma Hinchliffe: Yeah. , let’s speak about Senator Feinstein’s legacy. What portions of it are you realize, maximum serious about what’s for your thoughts as you step into this position? What do you wish to have to convey ahead with you?

Laphonza Butler: Glance, if I attempt to measure my provider to Senator Feinstein’s I fail. There may be such a lot that she has delivered to California into the rustic. Other folks don’t know that the Amber Alert is Senator Dianne Feinstein. Proper. So, the techniques wherein she has all the time thought of the security and safety of our communities, the longer term for younger other people, whether or not it’s via transportation or via her dedication to water, the water disaster in our state, and the surroundings, her introduction and in consistent combat for our federal parks Joshua Tree, like any of that, is Senator Dianne Feinstein. And so, I’m really not so audacious as to imagine that I can give a contribution up to the senator did in her many years of provider. My lifestyles has all the time been an instance for girls and women and their financial empowerment. And I need to proceed that, whether or not as a hard work chief preventing for upper wages and elevating them serving to to boost the minimal salary and get ill days and pay break day for caregivers on this on this state who didn’t have it as of 2016. Or running on the paintings of doing the exercise of Emily’s Listing or my time at Airbnb, I think like I’ve had the chance to serve the industrial empowerment of ladies, the political energy of ladies. And that is any other alternative for me to try this. And to do throughout the spirit of Senator Feinstein.

Emma Hinchliffe: Superb. Smartly, you realize, as we heard, you’re most effective the 3rd Black lady to ever serve within the Senate and the primary brazenly homosexual Black lady to serve within the Senate. What do the ones milestones imply to you in my opinion? How do you are feeling about them?

Laphonza Butler: Right here it’s, I most effective understand how to be a Black lady.I don’t understand how to be anything. And so, I don’t understand how to steer some other means. And so, I feel what the ones milestones in point of fact imply for me, confidently serve for instance, for different Black ladies, different lesbians, others who simply need to reside their lifestyles their very own means. When I’m hoping it way and provides somewhat little bit of semblance of is solely do you?

Emma Hinchliffe: Utterly and relatedly no longer simply the primary you’re additionally lately and most effective the one Black lady in america Senate at the moment. There’s additionally the Vice President, however you’re the one senator. , what does that really feel like for you as you step directly to the Senate ground?

Laphonza Butler: I will be able to’t say the similar factor I stated sooner than can I ? It’s it’s not misplaced on me that there was once Carol Moseley Braun, there was once Kamala Harris. And now there’s Laphonza Butler. , I used to be sworn in. I used to be sworn in simply closing Tuesday, and my mom celebrated her seventieth birthday this yr. And that during August, and I believed I used to be doing a large deal like taking her on our first mom daughter most effective I’ve two older brothers. Our first mom daughter travel simply the 2 people. We’re going to love to knock those 70 issues out mother. After which I were given to peer her within the state capital, in america Capitol for the primary time in her complete lifestyles. I were given to peer her with Senator Cory Booker. I were given to peer her with Congresswoman Lauren Underwood. I really like to name it, you’re residing your easiest MSNBC lifestyles lady.

And all of us like I grew up in a small the city in Mississippi, I went to a traditionally Black school. I by no means concept that the day that I might acknowledge and spot pleasure in my mom’s eyes can be when she was once strolling as much as shake the arms of the vp who was once swearing her daughter her youngest kid in because the 3rd Black lady to serve on this ancient chamber and so it way so much to me. It way so much to my circle of relatives, I feel. I feel it would imply somewhat bit to my daughter who was once most effective 9 and selected to make a choice not to come to the swearing in as a result of she sought after to move tenting

Emma Hinchliffe: Did she have amusing?

Laphonza Butler: It was once her first time with the ability to cross tenting with out her folks having to move.

Emma Hinchliffe: And experiencing her first

Laphonza Butler: I do know, proper? And I stated, So Nyla Mama’s were given this factor happening. However you’ll be able to you realize; do you wish to have to do that? Or do you wish to have to move tenting? And he or she stated” oh, no, I’m going to move tenting” I stated “neatly, the Vice President goes to be there” She stated, “Smartly, inform her I stated”

Emma Hinchliffe: That’s fantastic.

Laphonza Butler: I’m hoping it way one thing to younger ladies who possibly aren’t my daughter, however I’m hoping this can be a demonstration of what’s conceivable. And when we will believe, in combination and even if we will’t, there’s extra chance for us. In order that’s my hope.

Emma Hinchliffe: Smartly, thanks such a lot, Senator. So, Dianne Feinstein was once 90 years outdated, you’re a lot more youthful than that. Are you apprehensive about you realize, the growing old management in politics? And do you suppose that is the route that we will have to be moving into?

Laphonza Butler: Which route?

Emma Hinchliffe: A more youthful route?

Laphonza Butler: Smartly, I, as was once discussed within the previous communicate, I don’t suppose that we’ve got a decision however to move in a more youthful route. However I can say, glance, we’re at a time, I feel the place the reward for me is to were ready to be informed from Senator Feinstein, the reward from me has been ready to peer, Speaker Pelosi has magnificent management. I feel the chance for leaders of my technology is, so see how management is on show, and to be informed all the gear and type of methods of the industry and be capable of concentrate very obviously, to what’s being communicated from generations that come after me, I’ve all the time type of thought of my, at the cusp of Gen X, millennials type of nature and actual accountability is to be a transmission invoice. And so is each at each flip and each evolution of management, there’s all the time going to be a passing of the baton. At Emily’s Listing, I used to be ready to obtain that baton from Ellen Malcolm, who handed it to Stephanie Schriock, who handed it to me the place I used to be additionally the primary Black lady to serve and the management of Emily’s Listing. And so, is that this a route that we will have to be moving into? Completely. We will be able to’t be for illustration and inclusion with out illustration and inclusion. And we will have to take the chance to be informed from those that have led sooner than us in order that we will do higher the following time round.

Emma Hinchliffe: Yeah, you realize, so you’re becoming a member of america Senate at what may well be known as a tumultuous time, from the specter of shutdowns to now outbreak of warfare in Israel. , what do you are feeling like you’ll be able to convey to this second as you step into this position revel in running around the aisle getting issues performed with simply such a lot going down in our nation and on this planet?

Laphonza Butler: Yeah, I feel it’s a super, nice query. I’ve thought of this so much when the governor reached out to me. And I feel that my each the tale of California and my revel in in it’s an providing that I will be able to convey to management on this second, the tale of California being considered one of such nice innovation, and hope. And we perceive very a lot the industrial inequality that exists in our state. We now have some fantastic inventions in coverage in regards to the atmosphere, and electrical automobiles, water, transportation, attention-grabbing pathways to the longer term. And because the image of hope in areas of coverage and other people and connection, what California has taught me and my paintings in it’s been about how do you, you realize, take what’s that one of the vital largest melting pots on this planet and to find not unusual flooring and construct coalition. And I feel what younger other people and, you realize, everyone in between senior saints, would have us to imagine is that, you realize, issues are that govt is damaged, that no person is speaking to one another. The one means that we had been ready to go a $15 minimal salary in California was once via coalition. It was once no longer simply the hard work motion, however it was once small companies. It was once no longer simply small companies, however it was once nonprofits, and everyone performed a job in understanding what may paintings for California. And so having had the studies of making an attempt of burking to construct the ones coalitions to make important alternate in some of the dynamic puts and economies within the nation and dare I say on this planet is an, I feel, an asset that I will be able to usher in and we’ll convey to my provider in america and

Emma Hinchliffe: So, is that this a short lived activity for you?

Laphonza Butler: It’s our early activity for me. It’s day six. I actually went via orientation, which is in most cases 3 days in like 4 hours. And so, I can say it’s an early activity for me. However my lifestyles has been one who has been devoted to provider and that’s my dedication.

Emma Hinchliffe: Smartly, thanks such a lot, Senator. Implausible to have you ever right here.