Sen. Dianne Feinstein announces the death of her husband, Richard Blum

On Monday, longtime Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) announced that her husband, Richard Blum, had died at the age of 86 on Sunday a following a long cancer fight.

In a statement, Feinstein wrote, "My heart  is broken today. My husband was my partner and best friend for more than 40 years. He was by my side for the good times and for the challenges. I am going to miss him terribly."

"Dick was incredibly devoted to his family, particularly his daughters and his grandchildren, and my heart is with them and everyone who Dick encountered. He was the type of man who really replaced his divot in life, who left things better than he found them. His enormous generosity is an inspiration for so many of us," continued the statement.

The senator had missed several votes of late to tend to her ailing husband. 

Blum and Feinstein married in 1980, when she was the mayor of San Francisco. She went on to, in 1993, become a U.S. Senator representing California. Blum  was a financier, who became the chairman of Blum Capital Partners, an equity investment management firm. He was also heavily involved in the U.S. relationship with the Himalayan region and a longtime friend of the Dalai Lama.