Democratic senator from California Dianne Feinstein, the longest-serving United States senator, longest-serving female senator, and oldest sitting United States senator at the time of her death, passed away at the age of 90 in her Washington D.C. home in the early hours of Friday, Sept. 29. She leaves behind her daughter Katherine Feinstein and a legacy that will continue to be discussed.  

Before becoming a senator, Feinstein began her career in 1969 as the San Francisco County Supervisor. In 1978, after the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk, she became the mayor of San Francisco. She served for eight years after being reelected.  

Feinstein then aimed for Congress and announced her run for the Senate. She was elected in 1992 for her first term. In May of 1994, she and many other senators worked to write a bill and garner support to ban assault weapons. Her advocacy against the sale of assault weapons remained one of her main priorities, along with restructuring immigration laws, the Dream Act and protection of the children of immigrants, and programs to protect farmers and agriculture. 

She continued to run and be reelected until her death in 2023. In her final years, her ability to serve was brought into question because of her health and medical conditions that she faced, which caused her to take extended periods of time off. Feinstein’s vacant seat will be replaced by a new senator, Laphonza Butler, appointed by California governor Gavin Newsom, who will serve for the remainder of Feinstein’s term.