Feinstein, Dianne (1933–)

American politician. Born Dianne Emiel Goldman, June 22, 1933, in San Francisco, California; dau. of Leon Goldman (surgeon and professor) and Betty Goldman (nurse and model); Stanford University, BA in history (1955); m. Jack Berman(lawyer), 1956 (div. 1959); m. Bertram Feinstein (neurosurgeon); m. Richard C. Blum (chair of Blum Capital Partners), 1980; children: Katherine Feinstein Mariano (former assistant district attorney of San Francisco); (stepdaughters) Annette, Heidi, and Eileen.

A champion of breast cancer research, environmental protection, and gun control, served on California Women's Parole Board (1960–66); elected to San Francisco County Board of Supervisors with more votes than any other candidate (1969), thereby making her the 1st woman to serve as president of the city's legislative body; reelected for 2 additional 4-year terms as supervisor, serving 3 terms as board president; became 1st woman mayor of San Francisco following the assassination of mayor George Moscone and supervisor Harvey Milk (1978); was re-elected twice, balancing city budget with firm hand, and finally left post due to term limits (1978–87); though unsuccessful in her bid, was the 1st woman to be nominated by a major party for governor of California; as a Democrat, became 1st woman elected to US senate from California (1992); reelected (1994, 2000); served on many key senate committees including Judiciary, Appropriations, Energy and Natural Resources as well as Select Committee on Intelligence; sponsored and won passage for major legislation to ban the manufacture, sale and possession of military-style assault weapons (1994) and the Methamphetamine Control Act (1996). Received Woodrow Wilson Award for Public Service (2001); was 1st recipient of American Cancer Society's National Distinguished Advocacy Award (2004).