California GOP State Sen. Sharon Runner Dies

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (CBS13/AP) -- A spokeswoman says California Sen. Sharon Runner, a Lancaster Republican who has struggled for years with health problems, has died. She was 62.

Spokeswoman Kendra Kruckenberg says Runner died Thursday morning at her home following respiratory complications.

Runner did not seek re-election in 2012 after undergoing a double lung transplant. She was treated for limited scleroderma, or CREST syndrome, an autoimmune condition that attacks the body's connective tissue.

After recovering, she won a special election last year and returned to the Senate before her health again took a turn for the worse.

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte says in a statement that "Runner's life was one of service." In a statement, he celebrated her legislative work and her efforts to establish a Christian day school.

Senate President pro Tempore Kevin de León, a Democrat out of Los Angeles, said in a statement that the whole legislature mourns Runner's death.

"While battling a tragic illness, Senator Runner endured and showed a real commitment to representing the people of her district. She committed her life to lifting all children with a quality education by helping found the Desert Christian schools and fought tirelessly for small businesses during her time in the Assembly and Senate," de León said.

Copyright 2016 The Associated Press.