Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman who was elected to Congress, has died after she stopped responding to treatment for brain cancer.
She was only 49.
Love’s family confirmed the tragedy with a statement on social media.
“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,” her family said.
Mia had been battling brain cancer and even received immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University’s brain tumor center. But nothing worked. Her condition worsened as the days went by.
She loved politics as a young adult and won a seat on the city council in Saratoga Springs, South of Salt Lake City. Then, she moved up to become the city’s mayor.
She was not one to bring her race into anything, but when she won her seat in Congress with votes from a White-dominated Utah. It was a feat worthy of recognition.
While Mia was a registered Republican, she distanced herself from Trump. She did not tweet any support for him, especially since he did not have many votes from Utah during the presidential elections.
When Trump first stated his intentions to run for President in 2016, Mia endorsed US Senator Ted Cruz in the Republican primaries when a 2005 recording of Trump’s strange comments about groping women came out. She even skipped the US National Convention that year.
Love lived the American dream and swore to love the United States with all her heart.
“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.
