JUST IN: Dianne Feinstein Announces She Won’t Seek Re-Election, Will Retire After Three Decades in Senate

By Sarah RumpfFeb 14th, 2023, 2:18 pm
 
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif.

Tom Williams/CQ Roll Call via AP Images

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) will wrap up a three-decade career in the United States Senate, announcing via Twitter on Tuesday that she would not seek re-election in 2024.

At age 89, Feinstein is currently the oldest sitting U.S. senator and the longest serving woman in the history of the Senate, first elected in 1992 after a decade as Mayor of San Francisco and a failed run for California governor in 1990 (she won the Democratic nomination but lost the general to Republican Pete Wilson).

She’s also been the focus of stories for the past few years with her fellow Democrats expressing concern about her “rapidly deteriorating” memory, trouble recognizing even longtime colleagues and staffers, and other issues drawing into question her ability to fulfill her job duties.

Rumors have been swirling for months about Feinstein’s intentions, with the senator rebuffing reporters’ questions and saying she would announce her decision in the spring. Meanwhile, Reps. Katie Porter (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA) did not wait for her to officially make her move and announced their own intentions to run for Feinstein’s seat. Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) even weighed in, offering an endorsement of Schiff that was conditioned on Feinstein stepping down.

Feinstein didn’t end up waiting until spring, making her decision official in a Tuesday afternoon tweet.

“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,” she wrote. “Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives.”

“Each of us was sent here to solve problems,” she added in a follow up tweet, along with a link to a longer statement on her website. “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.”

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Sarah Rumpf - Contributing Editor

Sarah Rumpf joined Mediaite in 2020 and is a Contributing Editor focusing on politics, law, and the media. A native Floridian, Sarah attended the University of Florida, graduating with a double major in Political Science and German, and earned her Juris Doctor, cum laude, from the UF College of Law. Sarah's writing has been featured at National Review, The Daily Beast, Reason, Law & Crime, Independent Journal Review, Texas Monthly, The Capitolist, Breitbart Texas, Townhall, RedState, The Orlando Sentinel, and the Austin-American Statesman, and her political commentary has led to appearances on the BBC, MSNBC, NewsNation, Fox 35 Orlando, Fox 7 Austin, The Young Turks, The Dean Obeidallah Show, and other television, radio, and podcast programs across the globe.