"Trailblazing Former US Senator Jean Carnahan Dies at 90"

Jean Carnahan, the first woman to represent Missouri in the U.S. Senate, has passed away at the age of 90. She was appointed to the seat after her husband, Mel Carnahan, was posthumously elected to it following his death in a plane crash in 2000. A moderate Democrat with no prior public office experience, she served for nearly two years before losing to a Republican candidate in 2002. Despite personal tragedy and political defeat, she remained steadfast in her commitment to public service and resilience.