SALT LAKE CITY — Karen Mayne, a longtime former Utah lawmaker who served as the Senate minority leader, has died at age 78.

The Utah Senate announced Mayne’s death late Thursday in a joint statement from Senate President Stuart Adams, R-Layton, and Senate Minority Leader Luz Escamilla, D-Salt Lake City.

“Today, we lost an extraordinary stateswoman and one of our dearest friends,” Adams and Escamilla said. “Sen. Karen Mayne was a trailblazer and exceptional leader who showed us how working together, despite political differences, can strengthen our state.”

Mayne, a Democrat from West Valley City, was a longtime presence at the Utah Capitol. She served in the Legislature since 2008, filling the same Senate seat previously held by her late husband, Ed Mayne.

Karen Mayne was diagnosed with cancer in 2022. She resigned her seat in the Utah Senate in January 2023, citing health challenges.

A month later, Mayne returned to the Capitol where lawmakers created a public safety officer scholarship program named in her honor after an emotional hearing.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson, a former state senator, called Mayne’s death a “huge loss” and said she was a “friend and mentor” during their time together in the Senate.

“She was a genuinely compassionate woman who cared deeply about others, faithfully served her constituents and our state, and was one of the best people I’ve ever known,” Henderson said.

In a social media post Thursday evening, Sen. Jennifer Plumb, D-Salt Lake City, said Mayne made Utah a better state.

“She proved that success is determined by more than just what ‘party’ one belongs to shattering ceilings & opening doors for women in UT politics,” Plumb wrote. “I will forever be in awe of her legacy. May we carry her legacy forward with deep gratitude.”