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 . Love spoke at the 2012 Republican National Convention . In 2012 , Love ran for Congress in Utah 's 4th congressional district , losing narrowly to incumbent Democratic Party U.S. Representative Jim Matheson . Love ran for Congress again and was elected on November 4 , 2014 , defeating Democratic opponent Doug Owens ; she fended off 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 over 250,000 cast
2012 Republican National Convention
2012 Republican National Convention
Mia Love