Mia Love, a former member of the US House from Utah and the first Black Republican woman elected to Congress, passed away at the age of 49 on Sunday.

Love’s family announced her death on her X account.

Recent treatment for brain cancer had been unsuccessful, with her daughter previously stating that the former representative was not responding to immunotherapy as part of a clinical trial at Duke University.

She died peacefully at her home in Saratoga Springs, Utah.

Love’s family expressed gratitude for her impact on their lives and the profound influence she had.

Utah Governor Spencer Cox remembered Love as a “true friend” and praised her legacy of service.

Love began her political career in 2003 by winning a seat on the Saratoga Springs city council and later became the city’s mayor.

In 2012, Love narrowly lost a bid for the House in a district covering Salt Lake City suburbs. She won two years later, defeating first-time candidate Doug Owens by approximately 7,500 votes.

Love didn’t emphasize her race during campaigns, but she recognized the significance of her victory after her 2014 win, defying those who claimed a Black, Republican, Mormon woman couldn’t win a congressional seat in predominantly white Utah.

She was initially considered a rising star within the Republican party and maintained a distance from Donald Trump, who was not popular among many Utah voters during his 2016 presidential campaign.

In a recent op-ed in the Deseret News, Love shared her vision for a less divided America and expressed gratitude for the support and prayers she received during her illness.

She spoke of her immigrant parents who arrived in the US with $10 and a belief in the American dream, and emphasized her deep love for the country despite its flaws.

Love’s political career exposed her to the negative side of the US, but she highlighted the hope and resilience she witnessed and called for neighbors to come together and focus on their similarities rather than differences.

In her final words, Love expressed her hope that her life would have mattered and made a difference for the nation she loved and for her beloved family and friends.

In 2016, Love chose not to vote for Trump and endorsed Senator Ted Cruz in the Republican presidential primary. She narrowly lost her 2018 congressional race to Ben McAdams.

After her loss, Trump publicly criticized Love and other Republicans who did not fully support him.

Following her political career, Love worked as a political commentator on CNN and as a fellow at the University of Sydney.