CNN political commentator Alice Stewart dies

(CNN) — Veteran political consultant and CNN commentator Alice Stewart, who worked on several Republican presidential campaigns, has died at the age of 58.

Law enforcement officials told CNN that Stewart’s body was found outside in the Northern Virginia neighborhood of Bellevue early Saturday. No foul play is suspected and officials believe it was a medical emergency.

“Alice was a dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN,” network CEO Mark Thompson said in an email sent to staff Saturday. “A political veteran and Emmy-winning journalist who brought a unique spark to CNN’s coverage, she was known in our offices not only for her political insight but also for her unwavering kindness. Our hearts go out for such an extraordinary loss.” It’s heavy.”

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 become a news anchor, she told Harvard International Review. She later served as communications director in the office of then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee before assuming a similar role in the 2008 presidential campaign.

She was also the communications director for the 2012 Republican presidential nomination of former Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann and then-former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum, also a former CNN commentator. Most recently, Stewart was the communications director for the 2016 Republican campaign of Texas Senator Ted Cruz.

Suzanne Malveaux, Alice Stewart and Charles Blow on CNN during the 2012 Democratic National Convention in Charlotte, North Carolina. (David S. Holloway)

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

“We always invited him to come on our show because we knew we’d be a little bit better off at the end of that conversation,” Blitzer told Jessica Dean on “CNN Newsroom.” “She helped our viewers understand what was going on and that’s why we will miss her so much.”

Speaking about his role as a network commentator, Stewart told the Harvard Political Review in 2020 that he “brings a perspective that I think CNN appreciates.”

Stewart said, “My position at CNN is to be a conservative voice as well as an independent thinker.” “I’m not one to drink the Kool-Aid; I’m not anti-Trump, and I didn’t leave my common sense and decency at the door when I voted for (Trump).”

Stewart also co-hosts the “Hot Mix from Left to Right” podcast with fellow CNN commentator Maria Cardona.

“I can’t believe she’s gone,” Cardona said on “CNN Newsroom,” adding that the two were going to record an episode of his podcast this Saturday. “I want everyone to know how special she was, especially in this industry. As you know, today’s politics can be vulgar and so dirty, and Alice was such a sweet, bright light.”

Stewart also serves on the advisory board of the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Harvard University, where she was previously a fellow.

In her spare time, Stewart was an avid runner. She often posted photos of races on social media, such as the New York Marathon, which she ran in November, and the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile race, which she ran last month.

CNN’s Kayla Gallagher contributed to this report.