Mia Love, a trailblazer in American politics and the first Black Republican congresswoman in U.S. history, has died at the age of 49. Her family announced that she passed away peacefully on Sunday at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, surrounded by loved ones.
Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, made history when she was elected to represent Utah in the U.S. House of Representatives in 2014. Before that, she served on the Saratoga Springs City Council and later became the city’s mayor at just 34 years old.
Her daughter, Abigale, revealed earlier this month that Love had stopped responding to treatment for glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer she was diagnosed with in 2022. Despite being given a prognosis of 10 to 15 months, she defied the odds, living beyond expectations.
“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 said in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).
Utah Governor Spencer Cox paid tribute to Love, calling her “a true trailblazer and visionary leader” whose “courage, grace, and unwavering belief in the American dream” inspired many. “Her legacy leaves a lasting, positive impact on our state. We will miss her deeply,” he wrote.
Love’s rise in politics was groundbreaking. As a staunch conservative, she championed policies focused on fiscal responsibility, limited government, and opportunity for all. She served two terms in Congress before narrowly losing her re-election bid in 2018 to Democrat Ben McAdams.
In her final public message, Love penned an opinion piece for Deseret News on March 11, expressing gratitude and hope for the country she served. “Not to say goodbye but to say thank you and express my living wish for you and the America I know,” she wrote.
Credit: MSN News
