Feinstein has unique legacy in the Senate
Dianne Feinstein, California's pioneering senator, announced Tuesday that she will not seek a sixth term in office in 2024. No California senator in history can match her legacy.
First woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. First woman mayor of San Francisco. First woman chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee. Longest-serving senator in California history. Longest-serving woman senator in U.S. history.
Author of the 1994 assault weapons ban. Protector of gay rights. Author with Sen. John McCain of legislation outlawing the use of torture by the CIA. Leader of the Senate effort to increase automobile fuel efficiency. Protector of California's deserts. Protector of women's rights. And so much more.
In recent years, Feinstein's moderate approach to politics has sadly gone out of style. She has also faced questions, at the age of 89, about her mental fitness. But that shouldn't detract from her accomplishments in her 30-plus years of service to California residents.
It's easy to forget the pivotal role Feinstein played in helping change state politics. In the early 1990s, California was hardly the reliable politically “blue” state it is today.
In 1990, Feinstein lost her bid to become governor to Republican Pete Wilson, who had served in the U.S. Senate since 1983.
After becoming governor, Wilson appointed fellow Republican John Seymour to fill his U.S. Senate seat. But then came the testimony of Anita Hill during the hotly contested Senate confirmation hearings for Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas. The ensuing 1992 election is remembered as the Year of the Woman. Feinstein beat Seymour in a special election that fall, the same year Barbara Boxer was elected to the U.S. Senate, making California the first state in history represented by two women. Patty Murray of Washington and Carol Mosely Braun of Illinois were also elected that same year, marking the first time that four women had been elected to the U.S. Senate in a single
Californians will be hard-pressed to elect someone who has filled the seat as admirably as Feinstein.
election year.
It didn't take long for Feinstein to make her mark in the Senate. She was the author of the bipartisan Assault Weapons Ban that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton on Sept. 13, 1994, a law that was supported by a pair of Republican former presidents — Ronald Reagan and Gerald Ford.
The legislation was personal for Feinstein. In 1978, Feinstein was president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. It was Feinstein who found the dead bodies of San Francisco Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, after they were murdered by former Supervisor Dan White.
The assault weapons ban expired in 2004, and Feinstein has fought for it to be reinstated ever since as mass shootings have spiraled out of control.
In recent years, we have been critical of her positions on important water and privacy issues. But she has delivered for California on key transportation projects and played an important role in fighting off Trump's efforts to kill the Affordable Care Act.
Two Southern California Democrats — Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff — have already announced their candidacy to fill Feinstein's seat. Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee is also expected to enter the race.
Californians will be hardpressed to elect someone who has filled the seat as admirably as Feinstein.