Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell, who took over the office to become the second female governor in state history after her predecessor resigned amid a corruption scandal, has died. She was 78. Rell died Wednesday at a Florida hospital following a brief illness, her family said in a statement Thursday morning.

She was lieutenant governor when her boss, Gov. John G. Rowland, resigned in a corruption scandal. The second woman to lead the state, she was later elected in her own right.

Former Connecticut Gov. M. Jodi Rell died Wednesday after a brief illness at age 78. She healed the state after corruption scandals that rocked the state Capitol.