Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and veteran political adviser who worked on a number of GOP presidential campaigns, has passed away at age 58, PTI news agency reported citing CNN.
Stewart’s body was found outdoors in the Bellevue neighborhood early Saturday morning and no foul play was suspected, the police said.
In an email to staff, the network’s CEO Mark Thompson called Stewart “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,” he wrote. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”
Stewart was born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta, and began her career as a local reporter in Georgia before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas to be a news anchor. She went on to serve as the communications director in then-Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee’s office.
She assumed similar roles during Huckabee’s presidential run in 2008 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 the communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 campaign.
Stewart came on board CNN as a political commentator before the 2016 election and frequently appeared on air to provide insight on the political news of the day. She last appeared Friday on “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 yet an independent thinker,” Stewart said. “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).”
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 at 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 from road races on social media, including from 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.
