At 90. U.S. Sen Dianne Feinstein was California’s longest-serving U.S. senator and the longest-serving female member in the chamber’s history when she died Thursday night.
With her death, Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom will need to make a crucial decision on who will replace the Democratic senator. He had previously promised to name a Black woman to the post if Feinstein retired as she battled health issues. Feinstein had already announced she would not seek another term, which set off a scramble among California politicians who want to replace here.
Here is the statement Newsom’s office released on Friday morning:
“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. 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.
“She was a political giant, whose tenacity was matched by her grace. She broke down barriers and glass ceilings, but never lost her belief in the spirit of political cooperation. And she was a fighter — for the city, the state and the country she loved. Every race she won, she made history, but her story wasn’t just about being the first woman in a particular political office, it was what she did for California, and for America, with that power once she earned it. That’s what she should be remembered for.
“There is simply nobody who possessed the strength, gravitas, and fierceness of Dianne Feinstein. Jennifer and I are deeply saddened by her passing, and we will mourn with her family in this difficult time.”