Mia Love, the former U.S. Representative from Utah and the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, died Sunday at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah. She was 49.
Love's family announced her death in a statement posted to her official X account, confirming she passed away peacefully following treatment for brain cancer.
"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," the family said. "We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences."
Love had undergone treatment at Duke University's brain tumor center, where she participated in a clinical trial involving immunotherapy. Earlier this month, her daughter disclosed that she was no longer responding to treatment.
Utah Governor Spencer Cox described Love as a "true friend" in a public tribute, adding that her service inspired those who knew her.
Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, launched her political career in 2003 when she won a seat on the city council of Saratoga Springs, a fast-growing community located approximately 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. She later became the city's mayor.
In 2012, Love made her first bid for Congress but narrowly lost to Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson. Two years later, she ran again and secured a victory over Democrat Doug Owens by roughly 7,500 votes. Her win marked a historic milestone, making her the first Black Republican woman in the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black person elected to federal office in Utah.
Following her 2014 victory, Love addressed the significance of her election, acknowledging that it disproved those who claimed a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could not win a seat in Utah's predominantly white districts.
Love's political career coincided with the rise of Donald Trump, though she often kept her distance from the future president. During Trump's first campaign in 2016, Love declined to attend the Republican National Convention and publicly stated she would not vote for Trump after the release of the Access Hollywood recording. Instead, she endorsed Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who later withdrew from the race.
While seeking a third term in 2018, Love attempted to differentiate herself from Trump on trade and immigration issues, though she continued supporting the Republican tax agenda. Despite the strong Republican tilt in her district, she lost by fewer than 700 votes to Democrat Ben McAdams, the former mayor of Salt Lake City.
Trump singled her out the morning after the election, saying, "Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost. Too bad. Sorry about that, Mia."
Following her departure from Congress, Love served as a political commentator on CNN and as a fellow at the University of Sydney.
Earlier this month, Love published an op-ed in the Deseret News, reflecting on her career, her upbringing, and her hope for national unity. She wrote about her parents' journey to the U.S. with "$10 in their pocket and a belief that hard work would lead to success," crediting them for instilling in her a passionate belief in the American dream and in loving the country "warts and all."
Her career, she noted, exposed her to both the "ugly side" of American politics and to "people's hope and courage." She urged elected officials to "lead with compassion" and warned, "Some have forgotten the math of America - whenever you divide you diminish."
"In the end, I hope that my life will have mattered and made a difference for the nation I love and the family and friends I adore," Love wrote. "I hope you will see the America I know in the years ahead, that you will hear my words in the whisper of the wind of freedom and feel my presence in the flame of the enduring principles of liberty."
