CNN Commentator Alice Stewart Dead at 58

CNN is mourning the loss of a beloved colleague. 

Alice Stewart, a political commentator for the network and a political advisor for multiple GOP campaigns, has died, CNN confirmed. She was 58. 

According to the network, law enforcement officials confirmed Stewart's body was found outdoors in the Belle View neighborhood of northern Virginia early in the morning May 18. No foul play is suspected at this time, with officers believing a medical emergency occurred. 

Following the news of Stewart's passing, a number of her CNN colleagues mourned her loss, having worked with her since she joined network ahead of the 2016 election. 

"Alice was a very dear friend and colleague to all of us at CNN," CEO Mark Thompson said in an email to staff. "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. Our hearts are heavy as we mourn such an extraordinary loss."

Before joining CNN, Stewart began her career as a local reporter and producer in Georgia before moving to Little Rock, Arkansas, to be a news anchor. She also worked as the communications director on a number of political campaigns, including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee's presidential run in 2008, the 2012 Republican presidential bids of former Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann and then former Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum and, most recently, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz's presidential campaign in 2016. 

During her time with CNN, Stewart often appeared on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, whose host expressed his grief following her passing. 

"We always invited her to come on my show because we knew we would be a little bit smarter at the end of that conversation," Wolf Blitzer told Jessica Dean on CNN Newsroom. "She helped our viewers better appreciate what was going on and that's why we will miss her so much."

CNN anchor and chief political correspondent Dana Bash, who knew Stewart for more than two decades, said of her friend, "One of the many reasons why she was so valuable to us on our political panels … is because she brought that experience. She brought that understanding of how Republican politics, Republican campaigns work and she never, ever did it with anything other than a smile."

Stewart also co-hosted the Hot Mics From Left to Right podcast alongside CNN's Maria Cardona.

"I want everyone to know what a special person she was, especially in this industry," Cardona said of her former colleague. "As you know, today's politics can be indecent and so dirty, and Alice was just such a loving, shining light."

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