Who was Mia Love? First Black Republican woman elected to Congress dies from cancer at 49

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Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman in Congress from Utah, passed away at 49. Known for her trailblazing political journey, Love served in Congress from 2014-2018. She had been battling brain cancer. Love’s family announced her peaceful passing and will share details about her funeral services soon.

Mia Love, the former U.S. Representative from Utah and a first Black Republican woman, passed away at 49 years old on Sunday, as confirmed by her family members.

A trailblazer in American politics, Love made history as the first black Republican woman to serve in Congress.

Her family shared the news through a statement on X, saying: “With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound influence of Mia on our lives, we want you to know that she passed away peacefully today. She was in her home surrounded by family.”

The statement continued: “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. We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences. We are taking some time as a family and will provide information about funeral services and a public celebration of her life in the days to come.”

Prior to her death, Love had been receiving treatment for brain cancer. Her daughter had recently disclosed that the treatment was no longer effective for her mother’s condition.

Mia Love was born to Haitian immigrant parents and died peacefully with her loved ones by her side. She began her political journey in 2003, securing a position on the Saratoga Springs city council, located approximately 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. She subsequently advanced to become the city’s mayor.

Her initial attempt at a House seat in 2012 resulted in a narrow defeat against Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson in a constituency comprising Salt Lake City suburban areas, NBC news reported.

She contested again in 2014, successfully defeating newcomer Doug Owens with a margin of approximately 7,500 votes.

Whilst not highlighting her racial background during campaigns, she recognised the historic nature of her 2014 victory. She noted her success challenged those who doubted that a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could secure a congressional seat in predominantly white Utah.

The GOP initially viewed her as a promising talent, and she maintained distance from Donald Trump, who faced considerable unpopularity among Utah voters during his presidential campaign leading up to the 2016 election.

In 2016, during her re-election campaign and following the emergence of a 2005 recording containing Trump’s inappropriate remarks about women, Love opted to skip the Republican National Convention. She issued a statement declaring “definitively that she would not vote for Trump”. She backed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz instead, though he later withdrew from the race.

In her 2018 campaign for a third term, Love attempted to distinguish herself from Trump regarding trade and immigration whilst supporting party positions on tax reduction. Despite Republicans outnumbering Democrats by nearly three-to-one in her district, she lost to Democrat Ben McAdams, former Salt Lake City Mayor, by fewer than 700 votes.

Trump specifically mentioned Love during a post-election news conference, while criticising other Republicans who hadn’t fully supported him, CBS news reported.

“Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost,” Trump said. “Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia.”

Following her defeat, Love worked as a CNN political commentator and held a fellowship at the University of Sydney.

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