Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a trailblazing California politician with strong Bay Area ties, has died, her office confirmed Friday. She was 90.
Feinstein, who was born and raised in San Francisco, will be remembered as a political powerhouse. She was also the longest-serving U.S. senator from California.
"Dianne Feinstein was many things — a powerful, trailblazing U.S. Senator; an early voice for gun control; a leader in times of tragedy and chaos," California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a statement Friday. "But to me, she was a dear friend, a lifelong mentor, and a role model not only for me, but to my wife and daughters for what a powerful, effective leader looks like.
"There is simply nobody who possessed the strength, gravitas, and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein," Newsom added. "Jennifer and I are deeply saddened by her passing, and we will mourn with her family in this difficult time."
Feinstein attended the Convent of the Sacred Heart High School in San Francisco and attended college at Stanford University.
The first steps in Feinstein’s long and distinguished political career can tell you a lot about what drove her to pursue a life of public service.
After being elected to San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors in 1969, Feinstein quickly became a force and a trailblazer. She was the first woman to serve as the board’s president.
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Following the assassinations of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and fellow Supervisor Harvey Milk in 1978, Feinstein was thrust into the role of acting mayor. Her first act was announcing the tragic news to the public. Feinstein was officially elected as the mayor of San Francisco a year later.
After serving two full terms as mayor, Feinstein ran for California governor in 1990 but came up short.
In 1992, she set her sights on Washington and never looked back after becoming the first woman elected to the U.S. senate from the state of California.
"For decades, Senator Feinstein was a pillar of public service in California: from San Francisco’s City Hall to the United States Capitol," Rep. Nancy Pelosi said in a statement Friday. "Her indomitable, indefatigable leadership made a magnificent difference for our national security and personal safety, the health of our people and our planet, and the strength of our Democracy."
There, she earned respect on both sides of the aisle, while becoming the first woman to achieve a variety of accomplishments, including chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, chair of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee, and chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
"Dianne made her mark on everything from national security to the environment to protecting civil liberties," President Joe Biden said in a statement Friday. "She’s made history in so many ways, and our country will benefit from her legacy for generations."
Feinstein was married three times. Her most recent marriage was with investment banker Richard Blum from 1980 until his death in 2022.
Feinstein is survived by her daughter Katherine and her granddaughter Eileen.
