Alice Stewart, a political commentator for CNN and GOP political adviser, has died at 58. CNN confirmed the news Saturday as an apparent medical emergency.
Stewart’s body was found outdoors in her neighborhood in Virginia. Authorities reportedly do not suspect foul play.
“Alice was 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,” CNN CEO Mark Thompson said in a statement. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”
Stewart began her career as a reporter and producer in Georgia before she moved to Little Rock, Arkansas, to work as a news anchor. She took over as communications director for then-Governor Mike Huckabee while working in the same, and later fulfilled the same role during Huckabee’s presidential campaign.
She also worked as the communications director for former Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum, who each launched presidential bids in 2012, and worked on Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 campaign.
Stewart joined CNN as a political commentator in 2016. In 2020, she explained, “My position at CNN is to be a conservative voice yet an independent thinker. 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).” She most recently appeared on the network on Friday.
Stewart as born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta.