As Senator Dianne Feinstein announces her resignation, praise rolls in from SoCal lawmakers – Orange County Register

Praise for Senator Dianne Feinstein came quickly Tuesday morning, shortly after she ended widespread speculation about her political future and officially announced she would not be reelected in 2024.

Rep. Katie Porter, an Orange County Democrat who has previously run for the Senate seat, said she appreciates Feinstein’s leadership — both for women in politics and for California.

“Senator Dianne Feinstein has had a remarkable career serving the people of California. She created a path for women in politics that I’m proud of,” Porter said. “I thank the senator for her leadership and appreciate all she has accomplished for our state.”

Democratic Rep. Adam Schiff, who represents portions of Los Angeles County, called Feinstein “one of the finest legislators our state and country has ever known,” praising the senator’s work on gun safety, LGBTQ rights, and… Natural reserve.

“As the longest-serving senator, Senator Feinstein is (a) a frontrunner, and her accomplishments are immense and far from over,” Schiff, who is also running for the Senate seat, said in a social media post. “All of California owes Dianne a debt of gratitude for her decades of distinguished service.”

Feinstein was first elected to the US Senate in 1992 and is the longest-serving female Senator. She was the top Democrat on the powerful Senate Judiciary Committee until 2021 and became the first woman to head the Senate Intelligence Committee, where she oversaw the release of a bipartisan report on the Benghazi attacks.

On Feb. 14, Feinstein said she would not run for re-election but vowed to “get as much done for California as I can by the end of next year when my term ends.”