Gayle Manchin, wife of Sen. Joe Manchin, dies at 70

Gayle Manchin, the wife of U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., died Thursday at the age of 70, according to a statement from the senator's office.

The statement did not specify the cause of Manchin's death, but said that she had been battling lung cancer for several years.

Gayle Manchin was a lifelong resident of West Virginia and a graduate of West Virginia University. She served as the state's first lady from 2010 to 2018, during her husband's first term as governor. She was also a former teacher and social worker.

In addition to her husband, Gayle Manchin is survived by her three children and six grandchildren.