what happened to senator feinstein

According to the search results, Senator Dianne Feinstein of California died on Thursday night, September 28, 2023, at the age of 90. She was the oldest sitting senator and the longest-serving woman in the Senate. Her death leaves vacant her powerful Senate seat, requiring California Governor Gavin Newsom to appoint a temporary successor. Newsom has the power to appoint her successor or decide if there will be a special election. He previously stated that in the event of Feinstein’s passing, he would appoint a Black woman to this position due to the lack of representation in the Senate. However, he said he would not appoint someone currently running for the seat, which appeared to rule out U.S. Rep. Barbara Lee for the role because she is already involved in the primary race to succeed Feinstein. The replacement Newsom chooses could also jump into the race or endorse one of the candidates already running. The winner of the November 2024 election will be seated in January 2025.