Dianne Feinstein

Rest in peace

Dianne Feinstein, the first female Senator of California who served five terms, has died. She was 90 years old and had been in ill health in recent years, even as she continued to serve in the Senate. Feinstein was first elected in 1992, and in the 2012 election, she received more votes than any other Senator in U.S. history.

There has obviously been a lot of controversy about her age and ability to serve in recent years, but in her death, let us appreciate her accomplishments and her legacy.

Feinstein is in a number of "first woman" categories in the Senate, including first woman to chair the Senate Rules Committee and the Senate Intelligence Committee and first woman to oversee an inauguration. She's the longest-serving California Senator and the longest-serving female Senator of all time.

Feinstein began her political career in the 1950s, serving on a parole board. In the '60s, she was the target of an assassination attempt by an anti-capitalist terrorist group. In 1978, she also replaced Harvey Milk as mayor of San Francisco after he was assassinated. In the 90s, she ran for governor of California, and though she lost to Republican Pete Wilson, she ended up filling the Senate seat he vacated. Her legislative accomplishments in the Senate are vast, although she will probably be best remembered for authoring the federal assault weapons ban.

It's unclear who California Governor Gavin Newsom will replace her with, but it will almost certainly stir controversy given that three high-profile Congress people are vying for her seat next year: Katie Porter, Adam Schiff, and Barbara Lee.