Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, passed away March 23 according to a statement from her family.
Love has suffered from an aggressive form of brain cancer known as glioblastoma. She was 49 years old.
Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau to a Haitian immigrant family and served as a city councilman and mayor in Saratoga Springs, UT, before being elected to Congress in 2014. She served two terms representing Utah’s 4th District before losing reelection in 2018 to Democrat Ben McAdams by a narrow margin.
Love received her cancer diagnosis in 2022 and was given roughly a year to live but surpassed that thanks in part to experimental clinical trials at Duke University’s Preston Robert Tisch Brain Tumor Center. Glioblastoma accounts for nearly half of all brain cancers annually, causing more than 10,000 US deaths per year.
“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,” her family said.
“People like the idea of women running, they do, especially a woman of color, but the efforts don’t go far enough,’’ Love told USA TODAY in 2022. “I certainly hope that I won’t be the last one. I really do.”
During her time in Saratoga Springs, she built a reputation for managing complex and difficult economic policies as well as multiple natural disasters. Love was a staple in conservative circles speaking to groups and advocating on behalf of her faith and Republican policies. During her tenure in Congress, Love worked extensively on financial issues and sexual harassment issues.
Love’s 2023 memoir Qualified: Finding Your Voice, Leading with Character, and Empowering Others is described by Representative Lee Zeldin as “an awe-inspiring journey in pursuit of selfless service, faith, family, and the American Dream.
Love is survived by her husband, Jason, and their three children.