Lynn Bartels, described by some as “Colorado’s most respected political journalist,” died Thursday. She was 69.

Bartels worked for the Rocky Mountain News starting in 1993, after moving to Colorado from New Mexico.

She joined the Denver Post in 2009, after the Rocky Mountain News closed, and covered politics and government — racking up numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association and a Pulitzer Prize as part of the Denver Post team that covered the Aurora theater shooting.

She transitioned to public service in 2015, working for the Colorado Secretary of State’s office under Wayne Williams.

Bartels was born May 14, 1957, in South Dakota.

“For years (she) watched her father, a Republican, cancel out her mother, a Democrat, in most elections. She later would say it turned out to be perfect training for covering divided legislatures,” according to the Secretary of State’s news release when she was hired.

Lawmakers sent condolences Friday.

Gov. Jared Polis called her “An Institution of Colorado politics and journalism.”

“Today, Colorado lost a dedicated journalist and public servant in Lynn Bartels,” Polis said in a statement. “Lynn was an institution in Colorado politics, and committed her life to serving her fellow Coloradans, whether as a journalist for the Rocky Mountain News and Denver Post, working in the Secretary of State’s Office under Wayne Williams, or serving as an aide to Senator Barb Kirkmeyer in the legislature.

“Lynn’s infectious personality and ongoing quest for selfies made her someone that everyone wanted to know, and her sharp wit kept readers coming back for more.”

Andrew Hudson, founder and president of Andrew Hudson’s Job List, was the press secretary for former Mayor Wellington Webb’s second term, right after Bartels had come to the Rocky Mountain News from Albuquerque.

“She was one of a kind. She had a reputation for being tough but fair. She was a reporter who understood the power of relationships. She was trusted by so many,” Hudson said. “It would be unfair to say she was the nicest person I ever met. We’d been on the receiving end of some of her tough coverage. But it was always fair. She would get it right with all sides represented.”

Hudson said she endured brain surgery three months ago, and since then a “parade of visitors” stayed at her bedside, from friends and family to former sources.

“She was so touched by the outpouring of visitors, well wishes and gifts from senators, governors to everyday people she touched,” he said.

Bartels also worked as a columnist for Colorado Politics.

“Lynn was gracious enough to write a column for us at Colorado Politics toward the end of her career and I never got tired of hearing her yarns and wool gathering about politics,” said Vince Bzdek, executive editor and vice president of content for Clarity Media, which owns The Denver Gazette, Colorado Springs Gazette and Colorado Politics. “Force of nature. One of the greats.”

“One observation Lynn shared late in life reflected her enduring optimism,” Hudson said. “After knowing hundreds of elected officials and candidates over her career, she concluded that most entered public service for the right reasons: because they genuinely wanted to make a difference. It was a perspective informed by decades of experience and a testament to her belief in people.”

There will be a memorial service for Bartels at the Denver Press Club. Details will be announced at a later time.