Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies

In one of her final appearances at the Utah Capitol, former Senate Minority Leader Karen Mayne and the self-proclaimed “funniest senator” stood on the floor with fellow lawmakers to laugh — and cry — one last time.

As her ex-colleagues gave her a standing ovation, Mayne heaved herself out of her wheelchair to crack a joke, and tell them, “Thank you, I miss you all, and I’ve enjoyed so much being here.”

A month before that February 2023 floor time, during which senators passed a law enforcement scholarship bill named in her honor, Mayne had resigned from the seat she held for 15 years after her battle with cancer took an unexpected turn for the worse. She was diagnosed with cancer in January 2022 after visiting the doctor for a broken shoulder.

The Senate announced late Thursday night that Mayne had died earlier that day. She was 78 years old.

Mayne stepped into public office in 2007 to replace her husband, labor union icon Ed Mayne, who also died of cancer. Combined, the Maynes represented residents of the Salt Lake Valley’s west side for nearly three decades.

In a 2021 video produced by the Senate, Mayne recounted that for years, she and her husband would work together to care for their two children, while managing their home and his civic duties.

“Every Sunday night, we would sit down the table,” Mayne recollected in the video. “OK, you’re going to speak here, I’m going to go here, take the kids here. So we worked together, and he always told me, ‘You’re a better politician. You should really run.’ I said, ‘No, it’s not my time.’”

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Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies

Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies

Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies

Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies

Karen Mayne, former top Democratic state senator and blue-collar champion, dies