Bipartisan love for former state Sen. Karen Mayne who died on Thursday. (2024)

A longtime fixture in the Utah Senate, former Sen. Karen Mayne died from cancer on Thursday. As a senator, she followed her husband, Sen. Ed Mayne, who died in 2007 from lung cancer. Together, the Mayne’s represented Salt Lake City’s west side for almost 30 years.

I worked with both Sens. Mayne as a citizen activist and legislator and found them both to be thoughtful, reasonable and committed to making a difference for the state. Karen was fierce, passionate, kind and funny. She was patient, too.

One of my favorite stories about her is how she stepped into elected office after Ed was diagnosed with cancer. I heard her share the story several times: she was active in her community and Ed kept telling her she was the better politician and should run. No, she demured, the time wasn’t right — until it was.

After hearing that Ed had terminal cancer in the spring of 2007, they sat in the car in the doctor’s office parking lot and Ed said, “It’s your turn.” “Yes,” Karen said. “It’s my turn.” Ed died at the end of November that year and Karen won the special election to replace him.

In 2018, she was elected as the Senate Minority Leader, a position she held until she stepped down from the Utah Senate in January 2023. In January 2022, she broke her shoulder and it was during treatment for the break that she found she had cancer. About a year later, there had been enough changes in her health that she announced she was resigning from the Senate. At the time, Senate President Stuart Adams released a statement calling her a dear friend and saying he would miss her wisdom and fortitude in the Senate. “Sen. Mayne has been a strong force for bipartisan camaraderie, which has strengthened our state,” he said, calling her one of the state’s most effective legislators.

Thursday night, Adams and Minority Leader Luz Escamilla released a statement about Karen Mayne’s passing, calling her an “extraordinary stateswoman,” a “trailblazer, exceptional leader” and one of their dearest friends. Since the news broke, condolences have poured in from elected officials from both major parties.

Gov. Spencer Cox called her “one of the best legislators” he has ever met, “and yet,” he said, “she was somehow a better human being,” the perfect blend of toughness and compassion.

Lt. Gov. Deidre Henderson called Mayne’s death a “huge loss,” saying that Karen Mayne had been a “friend and mentor” during Henderson’s eight years in the Utah 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,” she posted on X.

Sen. Jen Plumb posted that “Karen Mayne made UT 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. I will forever be in awe of her legacy. May we carry her legacy forward with deep gratitude.”

Scott Howell, former Utah senator and previous minority leader, said “State Sen. Karen Mayne was a remarkable and dedicated public servant. Her ability to reach across the aisle and craft solutions that benefited both sides was nothing short of artistry. Karen always believed that Democrats and Republicans could find common ground, leading to better policies for all citizens of Utah. It was my pleasure to work with both Ed and Karen throughout their careers at the State Capitol. Today, I find comfort in knowing that Karen is reunited with Ed, and their happiness together must be beyond words.”

Republican Utah House Speaker Mike Schulz said of his colleague across the aisle that “She was a dedicated legislator and kind to everyone she worked with. She will be greatly missed.

Dan Burton, general counsel in the Utah Attorney General’s office, remembers this: “I only occasionally had the opportunity to work with Sen. Mayne. But the few times I did I found her to be kind and pleasant with a matter of fact personality. My favorite bill I worked on with her was legislation that some municipalities had suggested to ban fringe gambling machines. I’ve never seen so many contract lobbyists trying to stop it. And they didn’t. She worked with both sides of the aisle to build support for a bill that her constituents thought was important to their community. The bill passed, blocking fringe gambling machines from our state.”

Salt Lake City Mayor Erin Mendenhall called Karen Mayne a leader and tremendous public servant. Her biggest legacy, however, “is the thousands of lives she positively impacted in the classroom as a teacher for 20 years.”

Funeral arrangements are pending.