Mia Love, the first US black Republican congresswoman, has died aged 49 in Utah, her family has announced.
“She passed away peacefully” on Sunday, surrounded by family at her home in the town of Saratoga Springs, a statement said.
Love, a daughter of Haitian immigrants, had represented the state of Utah in the House of Representatives.
Her daughter Abigale said earlier this month that Love had no longer been responding to treatment for brain cancer.
“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,” said the family statement, which was posted on X.
Paying tributes to Love, Utah Governor Spencer Cox wrote: “A true trailblazer and visionary leader, Mia inspired countless Utahns through her courage, grace, and unwavering belief in the American dream.
“Her legacy leaves a lasting, positive impact on our state. We will miss her deeply.”
Mia Love’s political career formally started in 2003 when she won a seat on the Saratoga Springs’ city council, and she later became the mayor, aged 34.
In 2014, she was elected to the US House of Representatives. She made history as the first black Republican woman to take up the role, and served two terms.
Love was critical of Donald Trump when he was running for president in 2016, endorsing instead his Republican nomination rival Texas Senator Ted Cruz, who dropped out of the race a few months later.
She also called for Trump to publicly apologise for making derogatory comments about Haiti in 2018.
Her bid for a third term ended in a razor-thin defeat to her Democratic rival Ben McAdams.
Trump reacted to that by saying at a news conference: “Mia Love gave me no love, and she lost.”
Before entering politics, the mother of three worked for some time as a flight attendant.
As a teenager she dreamed of an acting career, later graduating from the University of Hartford in Connecticut with a degree in musical theatre.
In 2022, Love was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a fast-moving and aggressive form of brain cancer, and was given just 10-15 months to live – which she surpassed.
Her death comes nearly two weeks after Love wrote an opinion piece for Deseret News, which she said was “not to say goodbye but to say thank you and express my living wish for you and the America I know”. (BBC)
