Alice Stewart, CNN political commentator and political adviser, dies at 58 | EUROtoday

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Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who labored on various GOP presidential campaigns, has died at age 58, the information community reported Saturday.

Police in northern Virginia informed CNN that Stewart’s physique was discovered open air within the Bellevue neighbourhood early Saturday morning and that no foul play was suspected.

Officials imagine Stewart suffered a medical episode, based on CNN.

In an e-mail to workers, the community’s CEO Mark Thompson referred to as Stewart “a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN”.

“A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist who brought an incomparable spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our bureaus not only for her political savvy, but for her unwavering kindness,” he wrote. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”

No additional details about the reason for loss of life or survivors was accessible Saturday.

Stewart was born on 11 March 1966, in Atlanta, and commenced her profession as a neighborhood reporter in Georgia earlier than shifting to Little Rock, Arkansas, to be a information anchor. She went on to function the communications director in then-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee’s workplace. She assumed related roles throughout Mr Huckabee’s presidential run in 2008 and served as communications director for the 2012 presidential bids of Minnesota Rep Michele Bachmann after which former Pennsylvania Sen Rick Santorum. Most lately, Stewart was the communications director for Texas Sen Ted Cruz’s 2016 marketing campaign.

“Heartbreaking,” Mr Cruz posted Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. “⁦Alice was wonderful and talented and a dear friend. And she loved America fiercely. She lived every day to the fullest, and she will be deeply missed. May God’s comfort and peace be upon her loved ones. RIP.”

Stewart got here on board CNN as a political commentator earlier than the 2016 election and steadily appeared on air to supply perception on the political information of the day. She final appeared Friday on “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer”.

Stewart informed the Harvard Political Review in 2020 that she brings “a perspective that I think CNN appreciates”.

“My position at CNN is to be a conservative voice yet an independent thinker,” Stewart mentioned. “I’m not a Kool-Aid drinker; I’m not a never-Trumper, and I didn’t check my common sense and decency at the door when I voted for (Trump).”

Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson posted on X that Stewart’s “sudden death is such a loss to all who valued her friendship as well as her political passion”.

“I first met Alice in Arkansas and I am proud that she focused on making friends in politics and not making enemies,” he posted. “Thank you Alice Stewart!”

Stewart additionally co-hosted the podcast “Hot Mics from Left to Right” alongside fellow CNN commentator Maria Cardona and served on the senior advisory committee on the Institute of Politics at Harvard University’s Kennedy School the place she was beforehand a fellow.

In her free time, Stewart was an avid runner, based on CNN. She steadily posted images from street races on social media, together with from the TCS New York City Marathon, which she ran in November, and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race, which she ran final month.