Laphonza Butler, who was chosen by California Gov. Gavin Newsom to complete the term of Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who died in September, will not seek election to the seat in 2024.

“I’ve decided not to run for a full term in the US Senate,” she wrote on the social media platform X. “Knowing you can win a campaign doesn’t always mean you should run a campaign. I know this will surprise many because traditionally, we don’t see those with power let it go.”

As it stands, the race already includes three high-profile Democratic members of Congress — Reps. Adam Schiff, Katie Porter, and Barbara Lee — as well as three candidates who haven’t held elected office: tech executive Lexi Reese, a Democrat, and Republicans Eric Early and Steve Garvey. 

Butler plans to serve through November 2024. 

California voters will decide in November who should serve out the final month or so of the current term and who will serve for a full six-year term beginning in January 2025. 

Bulter is not the first person Black person to quickly leave the august body of the U.S. Senate.

William Maurice “Mo” Cowan is an American lawyer who served in the Senate of Massachusetts from February 1, 2013, to July 16, 2013.

A member of the Democratic Party, he previously served as legal counsel and chief of staff to Governor Deval Patrick.

Governor Patrick appointed him to fill the vacancy left by fellow Democrat John Kerry to become U.S. Secretary of State.

Butler’s campaign has struggled in the polls and in fundraising, trailing Porter and Schiff since the race began earlier this year. 

Among all likely voters, Schiff garnered 20% of the vote, followed by Porter (17%) and Lee (7%), a September Los Angeles Times-Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies poll found.

Schiff has $32.1 million cash on hand, Porter has $11.9 million, and Lee has $1.3 million.