Alice Stewart, CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser, dies at 58

Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who worked on several Republican Party presidential campaigns, has died at age 58, the news network reported Saturday.

Northern Virginia police told CNN that Stewart’s body was found outdoors in the Bellevue neighborhood on Saturday morning and that foul play was not suspected. Authorities believe Stewart suffered a medical episode, according to CNN.

In an email to staff, network CEO Mark Thompson called Stewart “a dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN.”

“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,” he wrote. an extraordinary loss.”

No additional information about the cause of death or survivors was available Saturday.

Stewart was born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta, and began his career as a local reporter in Georgia before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, to be a news anchor. She went on to serve as communications director in the office of then-Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee. She took on similar roles during Huckabee’s 2008 presidential run and served as communications director for the 2012 presidential bids of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and then-former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Most recently, Stewart was communications director for Texas Senator Ted Cruz’s 2016 campaign.

“Moving,” Cruz posted Saturday on X, formerly Twitter. “Alice was wonderful, talented and a dear friend. And she loved America fiercely. She lived every day to the fullest and will be deeply missed. May God’s comfort and peace be with your loved ones. TO TEAR APART.”

Stewart joined CNN as a political commentator before the 2016 election and frequently appeared on air to provide insight into the day’s political news. She last appeared on Friday in “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

Stewart told 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 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).

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

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

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

In her free time, Stewart was an avid runner, according to CNN. 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.