SALT LAKE CITY — Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love, a trailblazing politician who made history as the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, has passed away at the age of 49. Love’s family announced her death on her official social media account on Sunday.
Love had been undergoing treatment for brain cancer, including immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University’s brain tumor center. Earlier this month, her daughter confirmed that Love was no longer responding to treatment. She passed away peacefully at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, according to a statement from her family.
“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 statement read. “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers, and condolences.”
A Legacy of Service
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox expressed his condolences, calling Love a “true friend” and acknowledging her lasting impact on the state and the nation. “Her legacy of service and dedication to her community will continue to inspire all who knew her,” Cox said.
Love’s political career began in 2003 when she won a seat on the Saratoga Springs City Council, representing a growing community south of Salt Lake City. She later served as the city’s mayor before launching a bid for Congress in 2012. Although she narrowly lost her first race to Democratic incumbent Jim Matheson, she ran again in 2014 and won, defeating Democrat Doug Owens.
Despite Utah’s predominantly white and conservative electorate, Love’s historic election in 2014 demonstrated her ability to defy expectations. “Some said a Black, Republican, Mormon woman couldn’t win in Utah. They were wrong,” she said at the time.
A Voice for Conservative Values
During her tenure in Congress, Love championed conservative economic policies and limited government while advocating for bipartisan solutions on immigration and education reform. She also kept her distance from then-President Donald Trump, particularly in 2016, when she refused to support his candidacy following the release of a controversial recording in which he made lewd comments about women.
Love sought reelection in 2018, but despite her efforts to distinguish herself from Trump while maintaining party loyalty, she lost by fewer than 700 votes to Democrat Ben McAdams. The morning after the election, Trump publicly criticized Love, saying, “Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost.”
After leaving Congress, Love transitioned to media, becoming a political commentator for CNN and serving as a fellow at the University of Sydney.
A Reflection on America’s Future
In an op-ed published earlier this month in the Deseret News, Love shared reflections on her life, her faith in America, and her hope for a less divided nation. She spoke about her parents’ journey from Haiti to the U.S. with just $10 in their pockets and how they instilled in her a deep belief in the American dream.
“Some have forgotten the math of America — whenever you divide, you diminish,” Love wrote. “My living wish and fervent prayer for you and for this nation is that the America I have known is the America you fight to preserve.”
Her passing marks the end of a remarkable career that broke barriers and inspired many. Love is survived by her husband and three children, who expressed their gratitude for the outpouring of support from the public during her illness.
A memorial service is expected to be announced in the coming days.
