NEW: Former GOP Congresswoman Passes Away At 49

Mia Love, the former Republican congresswoman from Utah, has passed away after a yearslong battle with cancer.

She was 49.

News of Love’s death came in a statement from her family, who earlier said doctors had begun the process of comforting her after treatments for glioblastoma brain cancer, or GBM, lost their efficacy.

“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 said. “We are thankful for the many good wishes, prayers and condolences.”

Utah Gov. Spencer Cox called his former colleague a “true friend” who was beloved by all who knew her.

Love entered politics in 2003, first winning a seat on the Saratoga Springs city council before rising to mayor. In 2012 she lost her first bid for the U.S. House against a Democratic incumbent in a district that partially stretches across the suburbs of Salt Lake City.

She returned victorious in 2014, defeating Democratic first-time candidate Doug Owens by about 7,500 votes, according to the AP.

In her final statement about today’s political environment, Love published an op-ed calling for Americans to pursue a less divisive form of dialogue that she recalled in her younger years.

“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. 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,” Love wrote in Deseret News.

“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 and that each citizen, and every leader, will do their part to ensure that the America we know will be the America our grandchildren and great grandchildren will inherit.”

While in office, Love struggled to adjust to the age of Trump. Following the 2016 release of the “Access Hollywood” tape, Love stated that she would not vote for President Donald Trump. She skipped the Republican National Convention and endorsed U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), who dropped out a month later.

As she sought a third term in 2018, Love tried to distance herself from Trump on issues like trade and immigration while still backing the president’s 2017 tax cut package. She lost to Democrat Ben McAdams by about 700 votes.

Since her loss, Love has transitioned to becoming a political analyst on CNN. In 2023, she first opened up about her cancer battle in an interview with Jake Tapper, an announcement she hoped would spur others facing similar diagnoses to fight through the pain and long odds.

“I recently shared details of my cancer journey with my friend Jake Tapper. It hasn’t been an easy journey, but I share it because I want my journey to give others hope,” she wrote on Facebook after her appearance.

“Whether you are facing a cancer diagnosis yourself, or fighting a different battle, there is hope! For me, that hope comes from my faith and my family. Both have been a source of immeasurable strength, peace, love, and support. Every day, I thank God for my life and a family who give that life beauty and meaning.”