California Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been a member of the U.S. Senate since 1992, announced Tuesday that she will not seek re-election in 2024. Her statement read, “I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends.” At 89, Feinstein is the longest-serving female senator ever, is also the oldest serving senator at age 89.
“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,” she added. “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 said she remains “focused on passing commonsense legislation to fight the epidemic of gun violence, preserving our pristine lands and promoting economic growth – especially to position California for what I believe will be the century of the Pacific.”
“I’m confident we can achieve these goals because we’ve done it before,” she said. “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, we have improved the lives of millions.”
In her statement Feinstein also stressed the importance of Democrats working with Republicans in a divided Congress in order to support the American people. She says that each senator is sent to Congress “to solve problems.”
