Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female senator in US history, has died, The New York Times. She was 90.
According to reports, she passed away at home on the evening of Thursday, September 28. The politician, who was also the oldest member of the US Senate, suffered from deteriorating health and memory in recent years. Earlier in 2023, she requested a temporary replacement on the Senate Judiciary Committee during her months-long medical leave. There had been several calls from members of the Democratic Party for the senator to step down, which she consistently rejected.
But though she faced criticism in recent years, she was undoubtedly a trailblazer in the field. During her 30 years of service, she was the first woman to chair the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee, as well as the first woman to preside over the inauguration of a US president.
“Devastated to hear of the passing of my longtime friend, Senator Dianne Feinstein,” Senator Kirsten Gillibrand wrote on in a social media post. “Through her tenure in Congress, she was a leader for women’s rights and a trailblazer for women elected officials. My heart is with her entire family. Dianne will be terribly missed.”
Prior to her time in Congress, Feinstein was the first female mayor of San Francisco, serving her home city from 1978, following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone, until 1988. In 1990 she ran for governor of California. While she received her party’s nomination, Feinstein lost the race to Republican Pete Wilson.
She is survived by her daughter, Katherine Feinstein. According to CNN, her desk in the Senate chamber will be draped in a black cloth with a vase of white flowers, per tradition.
