Dianne Feinstein, California’s longest-serving senator, has died at the age of 90. Feinstein had a decades-long political career in California, becoming the first woman president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors in 1978 and acting mayor after two assassinations. She was later elected as the first female mayor of San Francisco. Feinstein went on to become the first woman to represent California in the U.S. Senate in 1992. During her time in the Senate, she championed important legislation on issues like gun control and the environment. Feinstein’s mental acuity was questioned in her later years, though she had planned to retire in 2024 after nearly 30 years in the Senate. Her death leaves a vacancy that Governor Gavin Newsom will fill with a temporary appointment.

Feinstein broke many barriers as one of the first female politicians in California and helped define the “Year of the Woman” in national politics.