Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer of California says she will not seek re-election in 2016 to a fifth term in office.
The 74-year-old Boxer made the announcement in a video with her grandson.
She was first elected to the House in 1982 and then to the Senate one decade later. It was an election that marked a watershed year for women in politics with four winning U.S. Senate seats, including fellow Californian Dianne Feinstein.
In the Senate, Boxer has been a staunch supporter of abortion rights, gun control and environmental protections.
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