CNN Political Commentator and Veteran GOP Adviser Alice Stewart Dies at 58

Alice Stewart, a CNN political commentator and seasoned political adviser with a history of working on several GOP presidential campaigns, has died at the age of 58, CNN reported on Saturday.

Northern Virginia police informed CNN that Stewart’s body was discovered outdoors in the Bellevue neighborhood early Saturday morning, with no foul play suspected. Officials believe Stewart experienced a medical episode, according to CNN.

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

“A political veteran and an Emmy Award-winning journalist, Alice brought an unmatched spark to CNN’s coverage. She was known across our bureaus not only for her political acumen but also for her unwavering kindness,” Thompson wrote. “Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss.”

Further details about the cause of death or survivors were not available as of Saturday.

Born on March 11, 1966, in Atlanta, Stewart began her career as a local reporter in Georgia before becoming a news anchor in Little Rock, Arkansas. She later served as the communications director for then-Arkansas Governor Mike Huckabee. Stewart took on similar roles during Huckabee’s 2008 presidential campaign and served as communications director for the 2012 presidential campaigns of Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum. Most recently, she was the communications director for Texas Sen. Ted Cruz’s 2016 campaign.

“Heartbreaking,” Cruz posted on social media Saturday. “Alice was wonderful, talented, and a dear friend. She loved America fiercely, lived every day to the fullest, and will be deeply missed. May God’s comfort and peace be upon her loved ones. RIP.”

Stewart joined CNN as a political commentator before the 2016 election and regularly appeared on air to provide political insights. Her last appearance was on Friday’s “The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer.”

In a 2020 interview with the Harvard Political Review, Stewart said she offered “a perspective that I think CNN appreciates.”

“My position at CNN is to be a conservative voice yet an independent thinker,” she explained. “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).”

Former Arkansas governor and presidential candidate Asa Hutchinson posted on X, “Stewart’s sudden death is such a loss to all who valued her friendship as well as her political passion.”

“I first met Alice in Arkansas, and I am proud that she focused on making friends in politics and not making enemies,” Hutchinson wrote. “Thank you, Alice Stewart!”

Stewart also co-hosted the podcast “Hot Mics from Left to Right” with 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. She frequently shared photos from 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 completed last month.