NC delegation post tributes to late Sen. Dianne Feinstein | Eastern NC Now

    Publisher's Note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal. The author of this post is Theresa Opeka.

    Tributes are pouring in across the country for longtime U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-CA, who passed away Thursday. She was 90.

    Feinstein had voted earlier in the day but missed two votes in the afternoon.

    Among the tributes, U.S. Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC.

    "Senator Dianne Feinstein was a trailblazer who lived an incredible life dedicated to public service," Tillis said on X (formerly Twitter). "She was one of the most effective legislators in recent memory because of her willingness to work across the aisle in good faith in order to solve complex problems. It was a honor to serve with her. Susan and I extend our deepest condolences and prayers to Senator Feinstein's family and staff during this difficult time."

    "Amy Kate and I send our condolences to the family and friends of Senator Dianne Feinstein," U.S. Sen. Ted Budd, R-NC said on X. "While we disagreed politically, she was a trailblazer in the Senate, and we respect her decades of service to this institution."

    Democrat Rep. Deborah Ross, NC-2, also shared her thoughts about the late lawmaker in a post on X.

    "Heartbroken to learn that Senator Dianne Feinstein has passed," she said. "Senator Feinstein was a trailblazer for women in California and across the country. We'll always remember her remarkable career & lasting legacy. My heart goes out to her family & loved ones."

    At the time of her death, Feinstein was the fifth-oldest person to serve in the Senate. She has had health issues for the past year, including a case of shingles that had kept her away from the Senate for a month. She was also briefly hospitalized after a fall in her home in August.

    She began her political career in 1960 when former California Gov. Pat Brown appointed her to the California Women's Parole Board.

    She first held public office in 1969 when she won a seat on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

    In 1978, she was elected president of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors.

    On Dec. 4, 1978, she was appointed mayor of San Francisco after former supervisor Dan White assassinated Mayor George Moscone and Supervisor Harvey Milk on Nov. 27, 1978,

    She was elected to the Senate in 1992.

    Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California will appoint her replacement.