ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (KRQE) – A powerhouse politician who served in the Roundhouse for 15 years died on Monday after a fight with cancer. Senate Democrats announced the passing of their former colleague, 68-year-old Bill O'Neill. He first served in the New Mexico House in 2009, representing Albuquer que's North Valley. O'Neill worked his way up to the Senate, where he served until last year. Story continues below Community: NMSP confirms body of 16-year-old recovered from Cochiti Lake Don't Miss: New Mexico judge weighs request to withhold Gene Hackman death records Crime: VIDEO - Albuquerque Tesla Cybertruck vandalized He was a legislative champion for criminal justice reform, including prohibiting life sentences for juveniles. Politics wasn't his only passion; O'Neill also had a love for the arts, even writing plays about the profession. KRQE News 13 spoke to him back in 2022 where he said his plays were meant to bridge the political divide. "My dad, bless his heart, he was a hard core republican, and he never understood why I ended up as a Democrat, but we all respected each other, we had these great talks, you know, it was a different time, so we just have to get back to that...the key is respect, and to the degree that this play kind of moves this forward, that's a good thing," said O'Neill. In a statement, Albuquerque Mayor Tim Keller mourned O'Neill, saying he was a "poetic public servant" who left his mark on New Mexico. ...read more read less