Mia Love, the former mayor of Saratoga Springs, won a House seat in her second bid to become the first female African-American Republican in Congress. She defeated Democrat Doug Owens in a race to succeed retiring Rep. Jim Matheson (D), by 49 to 47 percent. Love has said that if elected to Congress, she would “join the Congressional Black Caucus and try to take that thing apart from the inside out.” She added, “It’s demagoguery.”
Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau in New York City in 1975. Her parents emigrated from Haiti in 1973. The family moved to Norwalk, Connecticut. Love graduated from University of Hartford with a degree in the performing arts (music theatre). After college she joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She married an LDS missionary, Jason Love. They have three children.
