Corinne Wood, the former Illinois lieutenant governor under Gov. George Ryan, died after a 15-year battle with breast cancer, CBS Chicago reported. She was 66.
Wood served as the state’s first female lieutenant governor from 1999 to 2003.
An attorney, she served as a Republican state house member, representing the 59th District before becoming lieutenant governor.
In 2002, she sought the Republican nomination for governor to succeed the retiring Ryan. She finished third in the primary, losing to Attorney General Jim Ryan. That year, Gov. Rod Blagojevich became the first Democrat to win the gubernatorial seat since 1977.
At a 2010 luncheon hosted by pro-choice organization Personal PAC (an event during which the actress Olympia Dukakis gave a keynote speech), Wood received the Pro-Choice Leadership Award, Windy City Times reported. (Note: Dukakis also passed away this year.)