California’s senators

Democrats Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein won a historic election in 1992: They were not only California’s first women senators, it was the first time any state sent two women to the Senate at the same time. Each must soon decide whether she wants to run for a fifth full Senate term.

Barbara Boxer

AGE: 73

BIRTHPLACE: Brooklyn

BACKGROUND: Stockbroker (1962-65); newspaper journalist (1972-74); congressional aide (1974-76); Marin County supervisor (1976-82); U.S. House of Representatives (1983-93)

FIRST SENATE RACE: Won 47.9% to 43% against Republican commentator Bruce Herschensohn of Los Angeles, following the retirement of Alan Cranston, a Democrat

IN SENATE: Chairs Environment and Public Works Committee and Select Committee on Ethics

NEXT ELECTION: 2016

LAST ELECTION: Won 52.2% to 42.2% against well-funded challenger Carly Fiorina, former CEO of Hewlett-Packard, in 2010

PREVIOUS LOSS: Was defeated in her first race for Marin County supervisor in 1972, and then worked as a journalist at a weekly newspaper, the Pacific Sun

Dianne Feinstein

AGE: 81

BIRTHPLACE: San Francisco

BACKGROUND: San Francisco supervisor (1970-78); mayor (1978-88) after Mayor George Moscone was assassinated at City Hall; lost election for governor in 1990

FIRST SENATE RACE: Won 54.3% to 38% in a special election against incumbent John Seymour, appointed after Republican Sen. Pete Wilson was elected governor in 1990

IN SENATE: Chairs Select Committee on Intelligence, which oversees nation’s 16 intelligence agencies

NEXT ELECTION: 2018

LAST ELECTION: Won her widest Senate election margin ever in 2012 against a little-known Republican, Elizabeth Emken, 62.5% to 37.5%

CLOSEST SENATE RACE: Faced her most competitive race in 1994, edging out Mike Huffington, a Republican congressman from Santa Barbara, 46.7% to 44.8%

Source: U.S. Congress, Secretary of State, Times archives. Reporting by Rong-Gong Lin II.