Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced Tuesday that she will not run for re-election to the U.S. Senate, marking the end of one of the longest careers in California politics.
Feinstein, who turns 90 in June, has spent a third of her life has been spent representing California in the United States Senate. First elected to Congress in 1992. her 30 years of public service in the Senate have made her the “the longest-serving woman senator ever,” according to her official biography.
Feinstein was born in San Francisco in 1933, and after completing her studies at Stanford University in 1955 she began her political career in local government. In 1969, she was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.
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After San Francisco Mayor George Moscone was assassinated in 1978, Feinstein took office as San Francisco Mayor. Later, she was elected to two consecutive terms as mayor until 1988.
Feinstein launched a campaign for governor of California, which she lost in 1990, however, in 1992 she became the first woman to represent the Golden State as a Senator after winning a special election to fill the position.
Since then, Feinstein has been re-elected by her constituents in California and sits in one of two seats next to Sen. Alex Padilla.
Feinstein currently serves on four committees in the United States Senate: the Appropriations Committee, the Rules and Administration Committee, the Judiciary Committee, and the Select Committee on Intelligence.
"I campaigned in 2018 on several priorities for California and the nation: preventing and combating wildfires, mitigating the effects of record-setting drought, responding to the homelessness crisis, and ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care,'' she said in a statement announcing her plans. "Congress has enacted legislation on all of these topics over the past several years, but more needs to be done -- and I will continue these efforts.
"I also remain focused on passing commonsense legislation to fight the epidemic of gun violence, preserving our pristine lands and promoting economic growth -- especially to position California for what I believe will be the century of the Pacific. And I will use my seniority on the Appropriations Committee to ensure California gets its fair share of funding. I'm confident we can achieve these goals because we've done it before.''
Her current term ends on Jan. 3, 2025.
During her years as a senator, the Democrat has worked to pass legislation including "the effort to legalize gay marriage and ensure the rights of LGBT Americans," the creation of the national AMBER alert system, and the creation of laws to regulate guns.
