Mia Love

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Mia Love
Mia Love by Gage Skidmore.jpg
Love in March 2013.
3rd Mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah
Incumbent
Assumed office
January 8, 2010
Preceded by Timothy Parker
Personal details
Born Ludmya Bourdeau
(1975-12-06) December 6, 1975 (age 37)
Brooklyn, New York City, New York, U.S.
Nationality American
Political party Republican
Spouse(s) Jason Love
Children Three
Profession Mayor
Religion The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormon) (1998-)

Ludmya "Mia" Bourdeau Love (born December 6, 1975) is an American politician. She is currently the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, and was the 2012 Republican Party nominee for the United States House of Representatives in Utah's 4th congressional district. She is currently running for this position again, for 2014.

Contents

Early life and education [edit]

Love was born Ludmya Bourdeau on December 6, 1975, to Mary and Jean Maxine in Brooklyn, New York.[1] Both of her parents emigrated from Haiti in 1973, leaving their two children behind.

According to Love, her birth granted her entire family citizenship under an immigration law that was set to expire in 1976.[2][3] Her father had on at least one occasion been threatened by the secret police in Haiti and initially came the United States on a tourist visa.[4] Her father recalls that Mia's birth was key to legally reuniting her family in the United States.[4] After the family moved to Connecticut, her parents brought her older siblings from Haiti.[5][6]

Love graduated from the University of Hartford with a degree in the performing arts. While at the University of Hartford she was part of the Hartt School's Music Theatre program.[4] She worked at Sento Corp. and the Ecopass Corporation.[7] She was also a flight attendant with Continental Airlines.[2][8]

Career [edit]

In 1998 shortly after graduating from college Mia Love joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Shortly afterward as part of her job as a flight attendant she relocated to Utah to be closer to the temple and to learn more about her faith.[4] Upon moving to Utah she got an apartment with a Utah woman she had known as a nanny in Connecticut. Mia contacted Craig Smith, a missionary she had known in Connecticut for help moving in. Smith was unable to help, but referred her to Jason Love, whom she had met briefly when he was an LDS missionary in Connecticut, a meeting that Jason remembered much more than did Mia. Jason helped Mia move in and they went on their first date (to a shooting range) in September. Mia and Jason were married in December, 1998. Mia turned down an offer to appear in the Broadway show "Smokey Joe's Cafe" that started two days before her marriage.[4][9] They have three children.

Love's first foray into civic involvement came in the summer of 2002 when she served as the community spokesperson in an effort to get the developer of her neighborhood in Saratoga Springs to spray against flies.[4]

Saratoga Springs government [edit]

City Council [edit]

Love won a seat on the Saratoga Springs City Council in 2003, becoming the first female Haitian-American elected official in Utah County, Utah; she took office in January 2004.[10] After six years on the Council she was elected Mayor.[11]

Mayor [edit]

Love was part of the city council that approved a transition from the agriculture tax to municipal tax. She also worked with other city council members to cut expenses, reducing the city’s shortfall during the economic downturn from $3.5 million to $779,000. Saratoga Springs now has the highest possible bond rating for a city of its size.[12]

2012 congressional election [edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in Utah, 2012

Love ran in Utah's 4th congressional district, which was created after the 2010 Census.[13][14] She competed for the Republican nomination against attorney Jay Cobb and State Reps. Stephen Sandstrom of Orem and Carl Wimmer of Herriman; she won the nomination on April 21, 2012 at the 2012 Utah Republican Party Convention with over 70 percent of the vote and faced six-term Democrat Jim Matheson in the general election.

Nationally, Love received campaign support from Mitt Romney, the 2012 Republican Presidential nominee, his wife Ann Romney, House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, House Budget Committee Chairman and 2012 Republican Vice Presidential nominee Paul Ryan, and Speaker of the House John Boehner.[15][16]

In August 2012, National Journal named Love one of "Ten Republicans to follow on Twitter".[17]

Love was a speaker at the 2012 Republican National Convention on August 28, 2012. She spoke of the lessons she learned from her parents, such as self-reliance and the importance of entrepreneurship.[18]

In September 2012, Forbes investigated a claim by a September 2012 article by a Mother Jones that Love's parents could not be citizens of the U.S. After Forbes investigated the Mother Jones claim, Mother Jones retracted the article.[19][20][1] In an October interview, her father stated that Mia's birth as a U.S. citizen was key to gaining permanent legal status and citizenship.[4]

After final tabulations, Love lost the election to Jim Matheson by 768 votes out of 245,277 votes cast,[21] a difference of 0.31%.

2014 congressional election [edit]

In March 2013, Love stated that she is seriously considering another run against Matheson.[22] In May 2013 she announced she would run in 2014.[23]

Political positions [edit]

Love favors "fiscal discipline, limited government, and personal responsibility."[24] She has also said that she asks herself three questions whenever she approaches an issue, "Is it affordable? Is it sustainable? Is it my job?"[25] She has advocated for the elimination of funding for special education in public schools and the National school lunch program.[1]

At her college orientation Love’s father told her, "Mia, your mother and I never took a handout. You will not be a burden to society. You will give back." She underscored this philosophy on the campaign trail to sum up her conservative views.[26]

Love is pro-life and has been endorsed by the Susan B. Anthony List.[27] She supports domestic energy exploration, local control of education, Second Amendment rights, and state control of public lands.[28]

Love’s race has been the subject of much attention, as she is the first black female mayor in Utah history.[29] She 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” and has described the Democrat-dominated Caucus as characterized by “...demagoguery. They sit there and ignite emotions and ignite racism when there isn’t. They use their positions to instill fear. Hope and change is turned into fear and blame. Fear that everybody is going to lose everything and blaming Congress for everything instead of taking responsibility."[30]

References [edit]

  1. ^ a b c Mencimer, Stephanie (September 24, 2012). "GOP Rising Star Mia Love: "Anchor Baby"?". Mother Jones. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. 
  2. ^ a b Benson, Lee (January 17, 2011). "About Utah: King's dream certainly thrives along the shores of Utah Lake". Deseret News. Archived from the original on September 25, 2012. "There was an immigration law in place, however, that would grant the entire family citizenship if Jean Maxine and Mary had a baby in America. But there was a deadline. The law was set to expire on Jan. 1, 1976. On Dec. 6, 1975, with 25 days to spare, Mia was born in a Brooklyn hospital. In no time, her older brother and sister were sent for in Haiti and the family was re-united. Says Mia: "My parents have always told me I was a miracle and our family's ticket to America."" 
  3. ^ Hesterman, Billy (January 6, 2012). "Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love Officially Enters Congressional Race". Provo Daily Herald. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  4. ^ a b c d e f g Robert Gehrke and Matt Canham, "Mia Love: From Dream of Broadway to Capitol Hill", in Salt Lake Tribune Oct. 8, 2012
  5. ^ Dougherty, Joseph M. (January 15, 2010). "Mayor Mia Love honors Martin Luther King Jr. in speech". Deseret News. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  6. ^ "Rising GOP star Mia Love glides into the spotlight at convention". Fox News. August 28, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  7. ^ "Saratoga Springs official website". Retrieved 2 April 2012. 
  8. ^ Haddock, "Political Novice Lovin' it", Deseret News, Sep. 27, 2004
  9. ^ John Fund (2012-04-22). "Daughter of Haitian Immigrants is GOP Congressional Nominee in Utah". National Review. 
  10. ^ Haddock, Sharon (September 27, 2004). "Political Novice Lovin' it". Deseret News. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  11. ^ Levinson, Alexis. “Aspiring first black GOP congresswoman: Don’t put me in a box”, “The Daily Caller,” January 14, 2012
  12. ^ Rolly, Paul. “Mia Love causing a GOP stir nationally”, “The Salt Lake Tribune,” November 19, 2011
  13. ^ Gehrke, Robert. [ “Saratoga Springs Mayor Mia Love to kick off campaign”], “The Salt Lake Tribune,” January 4, 2012
  14. ^ Saulny, Susan (May 22, 2012). [22, 2012 "Black Mormons and the Politics of Identity"] Check |url= scheme (help). The New York Times. 
  15. ^ Canham, Matt (February 1, 2012). "Chaffetz helps Love with Washington introductions, but says he won’t endorse". The Salt Lake Tribune. 
  16. ^ Gehrke, Robert (2012-08-01). "Love getting boost from national GOP stars". The Salt Lake Tribune. 
  17. ^ Mazmanian, Adam (August 27, 2012). "Ten Republicans to follow on Twitter". National Journal. 
  18. ^ "Comments about ‘'Revive' America, Utah congressional candidate Mia Love tells RNC, draws rousing cheers’". Deseret News. AP. August 28, 2012. Retrieved 2012-09-25. 
  19. ^ Stuart Anderson (Sep. 28, 2012). "Mia Love May Be Right About Her Family's Immigration History". Forbes. 
  20. ^ Gehrke, Robert (Sep 24 2012). "Love’s story of immigrant parents called into question". The Salt Lake Tribune. Retrieved 11 November 2012. 
  21. ^ Utah Lieutenant Governor's Office, General Canvass Report, 2012
  22. ^ http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/mar/17/gop-mayor-mia-love-thinking-about-another-run-cong/
  23. ^ Mitch Shaw, "Mia Love tells Weber GOP women she's running in 2014", Ogden Standard examiner, May 7, 2013
  24. ^ Aspiring first black GOP congresswoman: Don’t put me in a box, Daily Caller, January 14, 2012
  25. ^ Mia Love breaks the GOP mold, LA Times, May 29, 2012
  26. ^ "Mia Love campaign website". Retrieved 2 April 2012. 
  27. ^ "Mia Love". Sba-list.org.  Text " Utah's 4th District" ignored (help)
  28. ^ "Mia Love campaign website issues page". Retrieved 2 April 2012. 
  29. ^ Shaha, Abigail. “Saratoga Springs swears in Mia Love, Utah's first black woman mayor”, “Deseret News,” January 9, 2010
  30. ^ Romboy, Dennis. “Love would 'take apart' Congressional Black Caucus if elected in Utah's 4th District”, “Deseret News,” January 5, 2012

External links [edit]

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