Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving female U.S. senator in history, has died. She was 90.
Feinstein, who represented California for three decades in the Senate, died Thursday night at her home in Washington D.C., her chief of staff, James Sauls, confirmed Friday.
"Her passing is a great loss for so many, from those who loved and cared for her to the people of California that she dedicated her life to serving," Sauls said in a statement. "She left a legacy that is undeniable and extraordinary. There is much to say about who she was and what she did, but for now, we are going to grieve the passing of our beloved boss, mentor and friend."
Feinstein, who was elected to the Senate in 1992, was the oldest member of the Senate and the longest-serving female senator in U.S. history.
"Senator Feinstein never backed away from a fight for what was just and
right. At the same time, she was always willing to work with anyone, even those she disagreed with, if it meant bettering the lives of Californians or the betterment of our nation," Sauls said.
Feinstein had recently been struggling with her health, raising concerns about her ability to work effectively in Congress. Most recently, she was absent from the Senate for nearly 3 months as she struggled with shingles, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, and encephalitis.
Feinstein announced in February that she would not run for a sixth term in 2024.
Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to name her replacement.
Feinstein was a passionate advocate for liberal priorities important to her state -- including environmental protection, reproductive rights and gun control -- but was also known as a pragmatic lawmaker who reached out to Republicans and sought middle ground, the AP reported.
On top of being the longest-serving female senator, Feinstein was the first woman elected senator of California. She was also the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee and the first woman to serve as the Judiciary Committee's top Democrat. She was also the first female president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors and the first female mayor of San Francisco.
"Senator Feinstein led a bipartisan group of senators in passing legislation to drastically increase the fuel efficiency of cars. She was a leading voice in the effort to legalize gay marriage and ensure rights for LGBT Americans," according to the biography on her official website. "She's a champion for the preservation of the Mojave Desert, Lake Tahoe and California's forests. She helped create the nationwide AMBER Alert network, passed bills to criminalize border drug tunnels and has long focused on improving California's water infrastructure and reducing the threat of wildfires."
Among her most notable achievements are the enactment of the federal Assault Weapons Ban in 1994, and the six-year review of the CIA's detention and interrogation program -- which resulted in legislation ensuring that certain post-9/11 interrogation methods are never used again, according to her website.
"There are few women who can be called senator, chairman, mayor, wife, mom and grandmother," Sauls said. "Senator Feinstein was a force of nature who made an incredible impact on our country and her home state."