California Sen. Dianne Feinstein dead at 90
Feinstein announced retirement date for Nov. 2024
Becky_Hammel via feinstein.senate.gov
Dianne Feinstein has been a U.S. Senator from California since 1992.
September 29, 2023
UPDATE!
In the early morning hours of Sept. 29, news quickly circulated that Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the longest serving female senator in United States history, died at her home in Washington, D.C. the previous night after months of declining health.
Earlier this year, after 31 years in the Senate and 63 years in public office, Senator Dianne Feinstein announced that she would not be running for reelection in 2024, but had intended to complete her term with just under two years remaining.
Dianne Feinstein was a native of San Francisco, born in the Presidio Terrace neighborhood on June 22, 1933. She attended Stanford University initially as a student in pre-med, but later switched to a political science and history major, launching her political career. She graduated from Convent of the Sacred Heart in San Francisco.
Some of her key initiatives included firearm control, LGBTIQA+ rights, and the renovation of San Francisco’s cable car system.
In May, Georgia Haynes ’25 expressed, “I think Dianne Feinstein was deeply influential to today’s society as she was a key contributor in the acceptance of the LGBTIQA+ community within our society. Not only was she a fighter for our community, she became a trailblazer as one of the first women elected senator.”
Beginning in 1960, Feinstein served in local public offices. In 1969, she won her seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She served on the Board for nine years, and was later elected President of the Board of Supervisors in 1978. This put her in the line of succession for the mayoral position.
After Mayor George Moscone and City Supervisor Harvey Milk were assassinated in 1978, she became acting mayor for the remaining 13 months of Moscone’s term.
When his term was complete, Feinstein officially ran for mayor in 1979, won the election, and served as the Mayor of San Francisco until 1988.
In 1992, she was elected as California State Senator after Pete Wilson vacated his position to become governor. As of today, she remains active as a United States Senator, with her career spanning five presidential administrations.
Senator Feinstein had many firsts throughout her career. To begin with, she was the San Francisco Board of Supervisors’ first female president. Subsequently, she became the first female mayor of San Francisco.
Feinstein was the first woman elected as a California senator, and the first woman to serve as chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, as well as the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. Also, she became the first female member of the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017.
Diana Assereto, Dean of Academics and English Teacher at Archbishop Riordan, passionately voiced her opinion on Feinstein, saying, “Regardless of Feinstein’s politics, I can relate to her because she had to be strong and assertive in an environment dominated by men. When I started at Riordan 25 years ago, I was one of very few women on staff and the student body was all male. I had to work hard to be respected and had to think about the way I used my voice so that I could be heard without slipping into common stereotypes about women in the workplace.”
Although Feinstein had her supporters, she also had critics.
Jeff Isola, AP Government teacher at Archbishop Riordan, had a different perspective, stating, “I just feel that overall, Senator Feinstein is emblematic of a much larger problem that allows members of Congress to become complacent, staying in office for decades and pushing the average age well beyond that of the average American they’re supposed to represent.”
Indeed, many have expressed their concerns for the senior senator’s health issues despite Feinstein’sclaimssheisconfident that she can effectively complete the remainder of her term.
Assereto said, “Given the state that our City is in now, a new leader like her would be a breath of fresh air.”
Editor’s Note: This story, originally published on May 24, 2023, was updated on Sept. 29, 2023.