In response to the City Hall assassinations, Mayor Feinstein signed a local gun control ordinance, sparking controversy with a fringe gun rights group known as the White Panthers. Despite facing a recall effort by various groups unhappy with her moderate policies, Feinstein successfully weathered the storm, securing re-election in 1983.

Feinstein’s tenure as mayor was marked by centrist governance, which won her support from business organizations, law enforcement unions, and more conservative voters, even as it occasionally irked the city’s more liberal activists. In 1982, she vetoed legislation that sought to grant domestic partnership rights to same-sex couples, a decision that drew criticism from some quarters.

Reflecting on her political philosophy in a 2001 C-SPAN interview, Feinstein attributed her pragmatic approach to her upbringing in a politically divided household.

In 1984, when San Francisco hosted the Democratic National Convention, Feinstein gained national prominence and made the shortlist for Walter Mondale’s running mate in the presidential election. Meanwhile, the AIDS epidemic was ravaging the city, and Mayor Feinstein worked closely with healthcare professionals like Dr. Paul Volberding to address the crisis, even as the federal government largely overlooked it.

After leaving the mayor’s office, Feinstein ran for governor in 1990 but narrowly lost to Republican Senator Pete Wilson. However, her political trajectory took a significant turn following the Senate confirmation hearings of Supreme Court nominee Clarence Thomas in 1991. Her campaign for the U.S. Senate in 1992 included a commitment to enshrine women’s abortion rights into federal law.

Feinstein secured a Senate seat, making history during the “Year of the Woman” and championed gun control efforts, successfully passing a federal ban on assault weapons in 1994. Despite facing a tough re-election battle later that year, she built a reputation as a diligent and principled legislator.

In 2014, Feinstein defied the Obama administration’s objections to release a comprehensive report on the CIA’s use of torture following the September 11 attacks. Her investigation held the intelligence community accountable for its actions.

Feinstein’s steadfast commitment to her work led her to seek and win another 6-year Senate term in 2018 at the age of 85, despite some concerns about apparent memory lapses. In her final term, she faced health challenges, including a severe bout of shingles, which temporarily limited her activities.

Former aide Jim Lazarus believes that Feinstein’s dedication to her role in the Senate was deeply personal, and she continued to serve as long as she felt physically able to do so.

Dianne Feinstein’s enduring legacy includes paving the way for more women in politics. She was San Francisco’s first female mayor, leaving an indelible mark on the political landscape, even if her views were not always in lockstep with feminist advocates.

Senator Feinstein’s husband, Richard Blum, passed away in 2022. She is survived by her daughter, Katherine, who served as a retired judge on the state superior court in San Francisco.

While some Democrats criticized her as too moderate and believed she stayed in office for too long, Feinstein will also be remembered as a leader who guided her city through a period of profound grief and as a strong advocate for critical national issues during her tenure in the U.S. Senate.