Sen. Dianne Feinstein Will Not Run For Re-election In 2024

WASHINGTON, DC — Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced Tuesday she will not run for re-election in 2024 but will continue to serve out her current term in office. Feinstein, whose barrier-breaking career began more than 50 years ago, has held a Senate seat since 1992.

"Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives," the California Democrat said in a prepared statement. "Each of us was sent here to solve problems. That's what I've done for the last 30 years, and that's what I plan to do for the next two years. My thanks to the people of California for allowing me to serve them."

Feinstein's career has spanned six decades and included a lengthy list of firsts.

She was the first woman mayor of San Francisco and the first woman elected senator of California. A native of San Francisco, Feinstein spent nine years as a San Francisco county supervisor, starting in 1969, but became mayor in 1978 following the assassination of Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk.

Tuesday's announcement was widely expected. Southland Reps. Adam Schiff, D-Burbank, and Katie Porter, D-Irvine, previously announced bids to seek Feinstein's seat in 2024, anticipating she would not run again.

"Dianne Feinstein is one of the finest legislators we've ever known," Schiff tweeted Tuesday. "From the torture report, a dogged pursuit of gun safety, and championship of LGBTQ+ rights, her body of work defines her legacy. We are so grateful for her ongoing leadership."

Feinstein, who turns 90 in June, is the oldest member of Congress and the longest-serving woman senator ever in the U.S., as well as the first woman to chair both the Senate Rules and Administration Committee and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence.

"Senator Dianne Feinstein has had a remarkable career serving the people of California," Porter tweeted. "She created a path for women in politics that I am proud to follow. I thank the Senator for her leadership and appreciate all that she has accomplished for our state."

In recent years, questions have been raised about Feinstein's cognitive health and memory, though she has defended her effectiveness in representing a state that is home to nearly 40 million people.

"I campaigned in 2018 on several priorities for California and the nation: preventing and combating wildfires, mitigating the effects of record-setting drought, responding to the homelessness crisis, and ensuring all Americans have access to affordable, high-quality health care," Feinstein said Tuesday.

"Congress has enacted legislation on all of these topics over the past several years, but more needs to be done — and I will continue these efforts."

Feinstein also in her statement said she would focus on issues such as gun violence, land preservation and economic growth during the remainder of her term.

She cited past achievements, "from the 1994 Assault Weapons Ban to the 2014 CIA torture report, from preserving Lake Tahoe and the Mojave Desert to passing the first significant global warming legislation, from protecting student-athletes from abuse to protecting consumers from harmful chemicals, and more recently improving our efforts to combat wildfire and drought."

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer announced Feinstein's decision during a closed-door lunch of Democratic senators at the Capitol. The senators broke into rounds of applause.

Feinstein told her colleagues how hard her husband's death was and that she was ready to step away from public life after finishing this term, Sen. Elizabeth Warren, of Massachusetts, said afterward. Her husband, Richard Blum, died last year.

"Senator Feinstein made history," said Warren. "She changed this country and she was a woman on the front lines in fights, like access to assault weapons, and national security and intelligence."

"Every other woman in public office owes a special debt to Dianne Feinstein."

The Associated Press and City News Service contributed to this story.

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.