Mia Love, first Black Republican woman elected to the U.S. House, dies

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Former U.S. Rep. Mia Love of Utah, a girl of Haitian immigrants who became the archetypal Black Republican pistillate elected to Congress, died Sunday.

She was 49.

Love's household posted quality of her decease connected Love's X account.

She had undergone caller attraction for encephalon crab and received immunotherapy arsenic portion of a objective proceedings astatine Duke University's encephalon tumor center. Her girl said earlier this period that the erstwhile lawmaker was nary longer responding to treatment.

Love died astatine her location successful Saratoga Springs, Utah, according to a connection posted by the family.

"With grateful hearts filled to overflowing for the profound power of Mia connected our lives, we privation you to cognize that she passed distant peacefully," her household said. "We are thankful for the galore bully wishes, prayers and condolences."

Love's erstwhile colleagues successful the House and chap politicians from Utah paid tribute to her connected Sunday and Monday.

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox referred to Love arsenic a "true friend."

"Her bequest of work inspired each who knew her," Cox said successful a statement. "We commune for her household and mourn with them."

"Heavy bosom with the passing of my person and colleague, Mia Love," erstwhile Utah Sen. Mitt Romney posted connected societal media. "Her energy, enthusiasm and wit made her a stand-out subordinate of Congress. Her religion and fortitude made her a exemplary for maine and for countless others. We volition dearly miss you, Mia."

Rep. Burgess Owens, who presently represents Love's district, posted connected societal media that helium was "heartbroken" implicit her death.

"Today, portion we grieve her loss, we besides observe her tireless committedness to nationalist service, her historical contributions, and the countless lives she touched done her work," Owens wrote.

Love entered authorities successful 2003 aft winning a spot connected the metropolis assembly successful Saratoga Springs, a increasing assemblage astir 30 miles southbound of Salt Lake City. She aboriginal became the city's mayor.

In 2012, Love narrowly mislaid a bid for the House against the Democratic incumbent, erstwhile Rep. Jim Matheson, successful a territory that covers a drawstring of Salt Lake City suburbs.

She ran again 2 years aboriginal and defeated first-time campaigner Doug Owens by astir 7,500 votes.

Love didn't stress her contention during her campaigns, but she acknowledged the value of her predetermination aft her 2014 victory. She said her triumph defied naysayers who had suggested that a Black, Republican, Mormon pistillate couldn't triumph a legislature spot successful overwhelmingly White Utah.

She was concisely considered a rising prima wrong the GOP and she kept her region from President Trump, who was unpopular with galore Utah voters, portion helium was moving for president up of the 2016 election.

In 2016, facing reelection and pursuing the merchandise of a 2005 signaling successful which Mr. Trump made lewd comments astir groping women, Love skipped the Republican National Convention and released a connection saying definitively that she would not ballot for Mr. Trump. She alternatively endorsed Texas Sen. Ted Cruz successful the GOP race, but helium dropped retired months later.

While seeking a 3rd word successful 2018, Love tried to abstracted herself from Mr. Trump connected commercialized and migration portion inactive backing her party's positions connected taxation cuts. Despite Republican voters outnumbering Democrats by a astir three-to-one borderline successful her district, though, she lost by less than 700 votes to erstwhile Salt Lake City Mayor Ben McAdams, a Democrat.

Mr. Trump called retired Love by sanction successful a quality league the greeting aft she lost, wherever helium besides bashed different Republicans who didn't afloat clasp him.

"Mia Love gave maine nary love, and she lost," Mr. Trump said. "Too bad. Sorry astir that, Mia."

After her loss, Love served arsenic a governmental commentator connected CNN and arsenic a chap astatine the University of Sydney.

Following Mr. Trump's predetermination successful November, Love said she was "OK with the outcome."

"Yes, Trump says a batch of inconsiderate things that are unfortunate and intolerable to defend. However, his policies person a precocious probability of benefiting each Americans," Love wrote successful a societal media post.