89-year-old Dianne Feinstein on Tuesday announced she is retiring at the end of her term and will not seek reelection in 2024.
The California Senator is retiring after THREE decades in the Senate and more than 50 years in office.
“I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends. Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives.” Feinstein said.
I am announcing today I will not run for reelection in 2024 but intend to accomplish as much for California as I can through the end of next year when my term ends. Even with a divided Congress, we can still pass bills that will improve lives.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) February 14, 2023
However, moments later, Feinstein disputed her office’s statement on her retirement.
“I haven’t made that decision. I haven’t released anything,” Feinstein said to reporters.
“We put out the statement,” one of the senator’s staffers said.
“You put out the statement? I didn’t know they put it out,” Feinstein said.
Yikes.
Feinstein on her retirement: “I haven’t made that decision. I haven't released anything.”
Staffer: “We put out the statement.”
Feinstein: “You put out the statement? I didn't know they put it out.”
— Savannah Behrmann (@SavBehrmannDC) February 14, 2023
Feinstein’s retirement comes amid reports that her cognitive decline is so bad that she recently became angry with staffers who were trying to debrief her on the stopgap funding bill.
Last year the San Francisco Chronicle reported Feinstein is in such bad shape that her own Democrat colleagues want her to retire before her term expires at the end of 2024.
The California Senator will be 91 years old when her term expires at the end of 2024.
Democrat Reps. Katie Porter and Adam Schiff have both announced they are running for Feinstein’s senate seat.
