CALIFORNIA - Senator Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has died, according to a report by NBC News. She was 90 years old and the oldest member and longest-serving woman in the U.S. Senate.
This spring, Feinstein was absent for nearly three months following complications from Shingles. She was hospitalized in San Francisco, with some politicians calling on her to resign because of her health and absences, which caused her to miss votes.
In February she announced plans to retire at the end of her term in 2024. According to NBC News, Democratic Reps. Katie Porter, Adam Schiff and Barbara Lee are already running for Feinstein's seat. In the meantime, her seat will be vacant and awaits a temporary appointment from California Gov. Gavin Newsom.
Feinstein was elected to the Senate in 1992. Since then, she has been known for breaking glass ceilings. She became the first woman to hold the top Democratic role on the Senate Judiciary Committee in 2017. She was also the first woman to chair the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, a position she held for six years beginning in 2009. Prior to her role in national politics, she was the mayor of San Francisco in 1978 for two four-year terms.