News Americas, New York, NY, March 23, 2025: Haitian-American former U.S. Congresswoman Mia Love, the first Black Republican woman elected to the U.S. Congress, passed away on Sunday, March 23rd, at the age of 49.
Her family confirmed her passing in a statement posted to her official X (formerly Twitter) account, noting that she died peacefully at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah, after a courageous battle with brain cancer. Love had been receiving immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University’s brain tumor center, but her daughter recently shared that she was no longer responding to treatment.
“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 shared. “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.”
Born Ludmya Bourdeau, Love was the daughter of Haitian immigrants who arrived in the U.S. with only $10 and a dream. Her father, Jean Maxime Bourdeau, instilled in her a firm belief in the American dream and the value of perseverance—principles that defined both her personal life and political career.
Love began her political journey in 2003 as a city council member in Saratoga Springs, later becoming the city’s mayor. She rose to national prominence in 2014 when she won a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives for Utah’s 4th Congressional District, becoming the first Black Republican woman ever elected to Congress.
Though she did not focus on race in her campaigns, Love recognized the historic nature of her election. “There were so many naysayers who said that Utah would never elect a Black, Republican, Mormon woman to Congress,” she remarked after her 2014 victory.
Briefly seen as a rising star within the Republican Party, Love distanced herself from then-candidate Donald Trump during the 2016 election, aligning with the more moderate views of many Utah voters.
In an op-ed published earlier this month, Love offered a heartfelt reflection on her journey, her love for America, and her hopes for its future. She urged elected officials to lead with compassion and to communicate honestly with their constituents.
“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,” she wrote. “I hope you will see the America I know in the years ahead, that you will hear my words in the whisper of the wind of freedom and feel my presence in the flame of the enduring principles of liberty. My living wish and fervent prayer for you and for this nation is that the America I have known is the America you fight to preserve.”
Utah Governor Spencer Cox paid tribute to Love, calling her “a true friend” and praising her legacy of public service.
Love’s political journey exposed her to both the promise and the challenges of American democracy. But she remained committed to the belief that her story – and the stories of countless others – represented the best of what the country could offer.
She is survived by her husband and three children.
