Mia Love, first Black Republican woman in Congress, dies at 49

Mia Love, the former Utah congresswoman who made history as the first Black Republican woman elected to the U.S. House of Representatives and the first Black person to represent Utah in Congress, died on Sunday, March 23, at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah. She was 49. The cause was glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer she had battled since 2022.

Born Ludmya Bourdeau Love in Brooklyn on Dec. 6, 1975, she was the daughter of Haitian immigrants who had come to the United States in the 1970s. Her father worked in building maintenance, while her mother transitioned from housekeeping to a career as a nursing assistant. The family eventually settled in Connecticut, where Love became involved in theater and performing arts.

She earned a scholarship to the University of Hartford’s Hartt School and briefly toured with a musical production before taking a job as a flight attendant. In 1997, she converted to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and relocated to Utah, where she later married Jason Love. The couple had three children.

Her political career began in 2003 with her election to the Saratoga Springs City Council. In 2009, she was elected mayor, becoming the first Black woman to hold elected office in Utah County. She entered national politics in 2012 with a run for Congress, narrowly losing. She won the seat two years later and served two terms in the House before losing her 2018 re-election bid to Democrat Ben McAdams by fewer than 700 votes.

During her time in office, Love was known for her advocacy of limited government and fiscal conservatism. She also joined the Congressional Black Caucus, despite previous criticisms of the group, and formed working relationships with both Democratic and Republican colleagues.

Love often referenced her Haitian heritage and her parents’ immigration story in public remarks. In 2018, she publicly criticized then-President Donald Trump’s derogatory comments about Haiti, defending the dignity of immigrants and her family’s background.

After leaving Congress, Love became a contributor on CNN and continued to engage in political commentary. In 2023, she published a memoir, Qualified: Finding Your Voice, Leading With Character, and Empowering Others, in which she reflected on her upbringing, career, and political philosophy.

She was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022. In her final months, Love continued to make public appearances and wrote a farewell column published in Deseret News, in which she thanked supporters and reflected on her life and values.

Love 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 today. She was in her home surrounded by family. In the midst of a celebration of her life and an avalanche of happy… pic.twitter.com/YzhAuH1l9x

— Mia Love (@MiaBLove) March 24, 2025

“She was in her home surrounded by family. 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,”  Love’s family posted on X as they announced her death on Sunday. 

In addition to her husband and children, Love is survived by her parents and siblings. Memorial service details have not been released.

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