Senator Dianne Feinstein (D., Calif.) has passed away at the age of 90 after a decades-long career in the Senate, leaving California governor Gavin Newsom to appoint her successor.
Feinstein, whose death was confirmed by local news affiliate ABC7, had planned to retire at the end of her current term in 2024. Elected in 1992, Feinstein is the longest serving U.S. senator from California.
Feinstein has been celebrated in recent years as a trailblazer for women in politics, both on the state and national stages. Before becoming one of the first two women from California elected to the U.S. Senate, she served as president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and mayor of San Francisco, becoming the first woman to hold both seats.
In response to the news of her passing, a host of prominent Democrats celebrated the contribution Feinstein made in her more than thirty years in the upper chamber.
“Dianne Feinstein, right from the start, was an icon for women in politics,” U.S. representative Nancy Pelosi (D., Calif.) said.
“She’s a legend. A legend in California as the first woman senator. A legend in the Senate,” Senate majority leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) added. “She was the leader on so many different issues.”
In the meantime, it remains uncertain who will serve out the remainder of Feinstein’s term in the Senate. Under California law, Newsom can appoint an interim replacement to serve until the 2024 election.
In the past few months, several Democrats announced their intentions to run for Feinstein’s seat, expressing concerns about her advanced age. Representatives Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee, all Democrats from California, have so far entered the race.
Earlier this month, Feinstein gave her daughter, Katherine, power of attorney over her legal affairs to focus on work in Congress amid a court battle involving her late husband’s estate property. And in July, the Democratic senator appeared confused during a Senate Appropriations Committee hearing’s roll-call vote. Instead of saying “aye” to notify the proceeding of her attendance, she started giving opening remarks before an aide interrupted her speech, leaving people questioning if she was still capable of finishing her term.
Feinstein, born Dianne Goldman in San Francisco on June 22, 1933, died Thursday evening at her home in Washington, D.C.