Mia Love

Ludmya "Mia" Love ( Bourdeau; December 6, 1975) is an American political commentator and former politician who served as the U.S. representative for Utah's 4th congressional district from 2015 to 2019. A Haitian American, she was the first black person elected to Congress from Utah, the first Haitian-American elected to Congress, and the first black woman elected to Congress as a Republican. Love was born to Haitian parents in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. She was elected mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, in 2010, having previously served on its City Council. She spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention. In 2012, she ran for Congress in Utah's 4th congressional district, losing narrowly to incumbent Democratic Party U.S. Representative Jim Matheson. She ran for Congress again and was elected in 2014, defeating Democratic opponent Doug Owens; she defeated Owens a second time to win re-election in 2016. She ran for re-election in 2018, but was defeated by Democrat Ben McAdams, losing by 694 votes out of almost 270,000. Love was hired by CNN as a political commentator in 2019. Early life and education Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau on December 6, 1975 in the New York City borough of Brooklyn. She is the daughter of Mary and Jean Maxime Bourdeau. At a time of political repression, her parents emigrated together from Haiti in 1973, leaving their two older children behind with family. Her father had been threatened by the Tonton Macoute, the secret police in Haiti, and her parents traveled to the United States on a tourist visa. They spoke no English when they arrived. Her father became a paint-company manager and her mother worked as a nurse.