Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love (R-Utah), who made history in 2014 as the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died at age 49 on March 23, according to her family.
“In the midst of a celebration of her life and an avalanche of happy memories, Mia quietly slipped the bands of mortality and, as her words and vision always did, soared heavenward,” her family stated.
Details about her funeral services and “a public celebration of her life” will be shared later, her family said, adding, “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.”
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called Love “a true trailblazer and visionary leader,” saying the former lawmaker had inspired Utah residents with “her courage, grace, and unwavering belief in the American dream.”
Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, was born in New York and moved to Utah in 1998. She began her political career in 2003 after winning a seat on the Saratoga Springs city council.
In 2012, Love ran for a House seat in the congressional district covering the suburbs of Salt Lake City but narrowly lost to Democratic incumbent, former Rep. Jim Matheson.
She ran for Congress for a second time in 2014 after Matheson announced his retirement. Love defeated the Democratic Party’s candidate, Doug Owens, and was later reelected for a second term in 2016.
Love lost her bid for a third term in 2018 to former Salt Lake City Mayor Ben McAdams, a Democrat, and later became a political commentator for CNN. In 2020, she was appointed as a fellow at Georgetown University’s McCourt School of Public Policy.
“What I know is that the goodness and compassion of the American people is a multiplier that simply cannot be measured,” she stated. “The America I know deserves leaders who trust the people and will tell them the hard truth about where we are and what we need to do in order to preserve our future.”
Love continued, “As my season of life begins to draw to a close, I still passionately believe that we can revive the American story we know and love.” She expressed her gratitude to everyone who had been part of her journey in pursuing “the American dream.”
In the 2016 general election, Love endorsed Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in the GOP primary over then-candidate Donald Trump. Cruz eventually dropped out of the race months later.
“Yes, Trump says a lot of inconsiderate things that are unfortunate and impossible to defend,” she wrote on Facebook on Nov. 8, 2024. “However, his policies have a high probability of benefiting all Americans,”
