SALT LAKE CITY — On Monday, loved ones of former U.S. Representative Mia Love gathered in Salt Lake City to pay tribute to her remarkable journey and impact. Love passed away at 49 in late March after battling brain cancer. As the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, Love’s legacy remains significant.
Originally from Utah and the daughter of Haitian immigrants, Love faced an aggressive brain tumor called glioblastoma. Despite undergoing treatment and participating in a clinical trial involving immunotherapy, she succumbed to the illness on March 23 at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah. Her daughter had recently made an announcement that Love was not responding to treatment.
Mourners arrived in numbers, entering a service lined with American flags at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Institute of Religion on the University of Utah campus. Inside, framed family pictures and arrangements of red and white flowers adorned long tables.
Love’s tenure in Congress was brief, spanning only two terms. She narrowly lost her seat to Democrat Ben McAdams in the 2018 midterm elections, a time when Democrats experienced a surge. Nevertheless, Love left a mark on Utah’s political landscape and later transitioned into a role as a political commentator for CNN.
For a moment, she was viewed as a GOP rising star, though her influence in the party waned as former President Donald Trump’s grip tightened. Love distanced herself from Trump and publicly criticized his derogatory remarks about immigrants from Haiti, El Salvador, and several African nations in 2018.
At Monday’s service, her husband Jason Love brought moments of levity, sharing anecdotes that showcased his wife’s unique abilities. He recounted how her persuasive skills shone when she managed to return numerous wedding gift toasters for cash, despite lacking receipts, which left him thinking he had married a “Jedi knight.”
Jason emphasized that her most remarkable role was as a mother. “She was an extraordinary mother, believing that her most important life’s work was with her children at home,” he shared. “She always made home a nurturing space where each child felt loved and encouraged to reach their potential.”
A choir, comprised of Love’s friends, performed some of her cherished hymns alongside Ed Sheeran’s “Supermarket Flowers” during the service. Her children, Alessa, Abigale, and Peyton, read aloud an op-ed penned by their mother for the Deseret News just before her passing, where she expressed a hope for a less divided nation.
Love’s sister, Cyndi Brito, shared fond childhood memories, describing Love’s dedication to rehearsing for her school plays. According to Brito, Love excelled at everything she pursued and had a unique ability to make those around her feel valued. Brito read from a speech given by her third-grade daughter, Carly, during a Black History Month assembly, highlighting Love’s legacy. Carly had said, “While Mia Love played many roles and held many titles, her most cherished title in my eyes was ‘auntie.'”
During her campaigns, Love seldom highlighted her racial background, but she did mention its significance following her 2014 victory. Dismissing doubters, she claimed her win proved that a Black, Republican, Mormon woman could indeed succeed in predominantly white Utah.
On Sunday evening, state leaders and citizens alike paid their respects at the state Capitol, where Love’s flag-draped coffin lay in the rotunda.
Love, born Ludmya Bourdeau, was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2022. While doctors initially gave her a prognosis of 10 to 15 months, she outlived these expectations through determined and aggressive treatment, living nearly three years post-diagnosis.
Utah’s Lieutenant Governor, Deidre Henderson, shared at Monday’s event that Love had urged her friends and family to rally like a campaign team when her battle with cancer began. “This is a campaign, and we are going to win,” she recalled Love saying.
Mia Love embarked on her political journey in 2003 by securing a city council seat in Saratoga Springs, located 30 miles south of Salt Lake City. In 2009, she became the city’s mayor, distinguishing herself as the first Black female mayor in Utah. After an inspiring speech at the Republican National Convention in 2012, Love narrowly lost her initial Congressional bid but succeeded in 2014, securing her place in history.