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SALT LAKE CITY — After being asked yet another question during an interview Wednesday about being the first black Republican woman in Congress, Rep.-elect Mia Love, R-Utah, playfully swatted at a reporter.
"You keep mentioning that. I don't think anyone will notice," Love said before becoming serious. "I see skin color no different than I see hair color, than I see whether someone's tall or short. It's a physical feature I'm very comfortable with."
Last night, after winning her race with Democrat Doug Owens by more than 4,200 votes to replace retiring Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah, Love told a Salt Lake Hilton ballroom full of GOP supporters her election made history.
"Many of the naysayers out there said that Utah would never elect a black, Republican, LDS woman to Congress," the former Saratoga Springs mayor said to cheers. "Not only did we do it, we were the first to do it."
She went on to describe her election as historic "because it has raised Utah's voice, and we have boldly told Congress that the status quo will not work. This election is about remembering our history, reclaiming our freedom and reshaping our future."
Wednesday, Love said Utah voters "made it very clear to the rest of the country that we're not interested in electing people based on their gender or their race." Instead, she said, they want "principled" elected officials who will represent their values.
A similar statement made by Love on CNN on Wednesday was reported by news outlets including Politico and The Washington Post, where media blogger Erik Wemple called her interview "baffling."
Love also said again Wednesday she intends to join the Congressional Black Caucus and "do everything I can to put this message out there that these issues that we're facing in our country, they're not black-white issues. They're American issues."
Many of the naysayers out there said that Utah would never elect a black, Republican, LDS woman to Congress. Not only did we do it, we were the first to do it.
–Mia Love
University of Iowa political science professor Tim Hagle, an active Republican, said the fact that the GOP's first congresswoman comes from a state not considered diverse is "interesting. I think it's a talking point."
But, Hagle said, Love is going to have to contend with a focus on her race in her new role, including from partisans "trying to maintain the idea blacks only vote for Democrats" even as the GOP looks for her help attracting minority voters.
The professor said there may be the suggestion made that "because Utah is not diverse and Mia Love was supported by the white establishment, she's not authentic" and Republicans are using her to promote their party.
"That's something Republicans are going to have to be careful about, as well as Mia," Hagle said.
Love's nearly successful 2012 run against Matheson attracted national attention, including a prime speaking slot at the Republican National Convention. She also campaigned around the country for GOP presidential nominee Mitt Romney.
Now that she's headed to Congress, Love said Utah will be her top priority.
"Every time I'm out there, it's about Utah. I know who I'm elected by and my job is to make sure I do everything I can, again to amplify the voice of the state," she said, on important issues that are "color blind."
She said it won't be hard to resist the pull of the national party.
"I'm a tough cookie. I don't get pulled anywhere I don't want to go. You can ask anybody who's worked with me. I go wherever I believe is best for me to go. I make the decisions."
Love said her husband and three children are staying in Saratoga Springs. However, she said she'll spend as much time as she can in Utah, limiting her time in Washington, D.C., to casting votes.
"Having my family here is a great incentive to be here as much as possible. I think that's one thing Washington has forgotten," Love said. "They've become out of touch with the people actually in their district."
A key issue in her race against Owens was the federal government's involvement in education. Love said she wants to remove spending restrictions on the federal dollars that come to Utah, a "first step" toward returning control to the state.
She said she expects to be able to work across the aisle, as she did as mayor in a community that earned a top bond rating and other accolades.
"You don't get that from being dysfunctional," Love said.
Owens took a break from packing up his Millcreek campaign headquarters to talk about his loss. He ended up with nearly 47 percent of the vote to 50 percent for Love, with some absentee ballots still to be counted.
"I feel really good that we ran a very good, credible campaign with very limited resources," Owens said. "We were outspent about 6-to-1 and came within 4,000 votes. I think Utah voters look beyond money and they look at the message."
Owens said he and his staff put their hearts and souls into the race and might have done better with more money for an even more aggressive media campaign. Owens said he is looking at running again in 2016.
Tuesday's results evoked memories of his father, the late Utah congressman Wayne Owens, he said.
"The moment we realized that we had lost last night, I had a lot of sympathy for my father, who lost almost as many elections as he won," Owens said. "But he didn't give up. So we'll keep fighting on these issues."
Pollster Dan Jones, who predicted the outcome of the election last Thursday in a poll for UtahPolicy.com, said another Love-Owens matchup in two years would be "a Donnybrook," a reference to an Irish fair noted for its brawls.
Jones said the 4th District that includes parts of Salt Lake, Utah, San Pete and Juab counties "will be a competitive district for the future."
