SALT LAKE CITY -- Mia Love made history Tuesday after being elected as the first black, female Republican to U.S. Congress, and political analysts describe her race as a carefully managed campaign that could have made all the difference between winning and losing.
"It's night of firsts for the GOP," said Mia Love to a crowd of cheering supporters on Election night.
It was an historic election for the Grand Old Party. They've been searching for someone like Mia Love: a Republican, black female.
"It has nothing to do with race. We are not divisive about race. It has nothing to do with gender," said Love during an interview on FOX 13's Live at Four.
She said winning the 4th Congressional District seat means Utah voters looked past race and gender. Click here for her complete interview from her Live at Four appearance.
Political analysts said diversity was the name of the game for the National Republican Party.
"The modern day Republican party wants to show the voting public nationwide that it's a party that values diversity," said Tim Chambless, a Professor at the Hinckley Institute of Politics.
He said what people should be paying attention to is why this race was so close.
"In terms of the margin, very close; 4,225 votes separated Love and Owens," Chambless said.
He credits part of the Republican's success to how well her campaign was run.
"The campaign was managed very carefully, she is a candidate that was managed very carefully," he said. "Her exposure to the news media was limited."
Love said she already has a plan as she takes on her new role as she moves from the mayor of the small town of Saratoga Springs to a Congresswoman.
"No one has talked about injecting the opinions of the American people," Love said. "I'm going out and making sure to do exactly what I have been doing, exactly what I've done in my city. Getting people to give me their ideas, talk about solutions, back and forth debating the issues and making sure I take those policies to Washington."
Chambless spoke about Love's future.
"Her government experience, her actual governmental experience, is quite limited," he said. "The jury will be out. She will be learning by doing."
Chambless said the most vulnerable time for Love will be two years from now when she's up for re-election.
