Sen. Dianne Feinstein announced Tuesday that she will not run for reelection in 2024 but will serve out the remainder of her term.
The Democrat said she will spend her remaining time in the Senate working on issues she campaigned on in 2018, including combating wildfires, responding to the homeless crisis and ensuring all Americans have access to health care.
"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 in a statement.
Feinstein, 89, is a historic political figure. In 1992, she became the first woman from California to be elected to the Senate. She was also the first woman ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and the first woman chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee.
Feinstein is a major supporter of gun control legislation, and she said she will continue "fight the epidemic of gun violence."
"That's what I've done for the last 30 years, and that's what I plan to do for the next two years," Feinstein said.
The senator's announcement was not unexpected. Two Democrats had already announced their intention to run for the seat.
Rep. Katie Porter promised to keep her campaign a "grassroots" effort and said she would refuse corporate PAC money, donations from federal lobbyists, and money from executives of oil and pharmaceutical companies.
Rep. Adam Schiff also announced last month that he would run for the Senate seat. Cornerstones of his campaign include "protecting democracy," combating climate change and taxing the rich.
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