The
democratic principles demonstrated in her family was
the foundation of Karen Mayne’s social conscience.
With two grandfathers who worked for Kennecott and
who were involved in the democratic platform, and a
father who served as a legislative chairman and
democratic activist, is was only natural that in
high school Karen volunteered as at poll watcher,
thus beginning her political career as a Democrat.
For over a quarter of a century Karen has served as
an advocate for working people of the State of Utah,
its senior citizens, and those who are physically or
emotionally unable to represent themselves.
Karen has
been a stalwart in supporting the platform of the
Democratic Party even during those long periods of
time when it seemed to many of us that we would
never recover our rightful place in the policy
making decisions of our State.
Eleanor
Roosevelt was an active First Lady who traveled
extensively around the nation, visiting relief
projects, surveying working and living conditions,
and then reporting her observations to the
President. She also exercised her own political and
social influence; she became an advocate of the
rights and needs of the poor, of minorities, and of
the disadvantaged. Karen Mayne’s journey has been
and will continue to parallel the life of Eleanor
Roosevelt.
Karen has
served on numerous committees, including the
Community for Drug Free Work, Utah Transit Authority
Board, the Kearns Recreation Center Board, the
Taylorsville Safety committee, Habit for Humanity
and Association for Fellow Educators, Grand Marshall
Kearns Days Parade, Grand Marshall Taylorsville
Parade, and has been involved with organizing
children’s sports programs. She has provided
valuable leadership as the President of Democratic
Women, , and served on the
Karen has
two children, Paul and Jamey, who have blessed Karen
with four amazing grandchildren.
Karen has
fulfilled her promise to her dying husband the late
Senator Ed Mayne to carry on their tradition
of service to the State Democratic Party and the
working men and women of Utah, supporting the
important progressive issues we face and endure as
Democrats in Utah.
In
December 2007 Karen was appointed to fill her
husband’s senate seat, and then in November 2008 she
was elected to fill the remainder of Senator Ed
Mayne’s term.
