CNN political commentator Alice Stewart dies

Alice Stewart, a veteran political adviser and CNN political commentator who worked on several Republican Party presidential campaigns, has died. She was 58 years old.

Law enforcement officials told CNN that Stewart’s body was found outdoors in the northern Virginia neighborhood of Bellevue on Saturday morning. No foul play is suspected and officers believe a medical emergency occurred.

“Alice was a dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” Mark Thompson, the network’s CEO, said in an email to employees on Saturday. “A veteran politician and Emmy-winning journalist who brought an unparalleled spark to CNN’s coverage, known across our agencies not just for her political knowledge but for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”

Stewart was born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta.

Stewart began her career as a local reporter and producer in Georgia before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, to be a news anchor, she said. Harvard International Review. She went on to serve as communications director in then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee’s office before taking on a similar role in his 2008 presidential bid.

She also served as communications director in the 2012 Republican presidential bids of former Minnesota congresswoman Michele Bachmann and then-former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum, also a former CNN commentator. Most recently, Stewart was the communications director for Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s 2016 Republican campaign.

CNN hired Stewart as a political commentator before the 2016 election, and she has frequently appeared on air to provide insight into the political news of the day, including recently on Friday on “The Situation Room with Blitzer Wolf.”

“We always invited her to come on my show because we knew we would be a little smarter at the end of the conversation,” Blitzer told Jessica Dean in “CNN newsroom.” “She helped our viewers better appreciate what was going on, which is why we will miss her so much.”

Speaking about his role as a network commentator, Stewart said 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 but an independent thinker,” Stewart said. “I don’t drink the Kool-Aid; I’m not a never-is-Trump and I didn’t leave my common sense and decency at the door when I voted for (Trump).

Stewart was also co-host of podcast “Hot Mics from left to right,” alongside fellow CNN commentator Maria Cardona.

“I just can’t believe she’s gone,” Cardona said on “CNN Newsroom,” adding that the two would record an episode of their podcast on Saturday. “I want everyone to know that she was a special person, especially in this industry. As you know, politics today can be nasty and very dirty, and Alice was a very loving and shining light.”

Stewart also served on the senior advisory committee at Harvard University’s Kennedy School Institute of Politics, where she previously was a companion.

In her free time, Stewart was an avid runner. She frequently posted photos of road races on social media, including the TCS New York City Marathon, which she ran in November, and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race, which she ran last month.

This story has been updated with additional information.

CNN’s Kayla Gallagher contributed to this report.

For more news and newsletters from CNN, create an account at CNN.com