Mia Love has barely had time to settle in at her new job as Utah’s new Representative and Utah’s first black member of Congress, but she has already solidified her place as a woman who got to where she is on her own talents.
She has also repeatedly made it known that her race has nothing to do with her win over Democrat Doug Owens by a three-point margin.
Mia Love told CNN, “What we need to mention here is this had nothing to do with race.”
Utahns are interested only in “electing individuals based on honesty, integrity and the values we hold dear,” she added.
Mia Love doesn’t believe that the people of Utah are racists, in general, even though pollsters in the state recently found limited sympathy among Utah voters for affirmative action, African-Americans or the lingering effects of slavery, according to The Salt Lake Tribune.
Congrats to @MiaBLove, the next Congresswoman from #UT04! For more updates, go here: http://t.co/f0R7xIruYg pic.twitter.com/2hGoo8fJ2K
— NRCC (@NRCC) November 5, 2014
In fact, out of 800 Utahns polled, 49 percent disagreed with the notion that “generations of slavery and discrimination have created conditions that make it difficult for blacks to work their way out of the lower class.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=beO8c_bAvF0
But Utah loves Mia Love, and it seems to be her lack of the ever-popular victim mentality. During her campaign, Love told the story of her parents immigrating from Haiti in search of a better life with $10 in their pocket.
Love, love this pic of @MiaBLove & her father as her victory became apparent. *This* is what tonight looks like! pic.twitter.com/mt0MOoU4v3
— Tammy Bruce (@HeyTammyBruce) November 5, 2014
“She always tried to convey the message that she campaigned not because of her skin color but because of who she is,” Baodong Liu, a professor studying race and politics at the University of Utah, said of Mia Love.
The consistent message of personal responsibility and pulling yourself up by your bootstraps that Mia Love was known for seems to have won over Utah and many across the nation.
Perhaps we are only seeing the beginning of Mia Love’s career. What do you think?