Former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice is putting aside her distaste for politics to campaign for Mia Love, the mayor of Saratoga Springs, Utah, who also happens to be Black and Mormon. Love hopes to unseat incumbent Rep. Jim Matheson to become the first Black Republican woman in Congress. The plans are still being set, but Deseret News reports that Rice will tentatively participate in a large campaign event and a fundraiser on Sept. 7.
Rice isn't the only big-name Republican heading to Utah on Love's behalf. House Speaker John Boehner is attending a fundraiser on Wednesday and Arizona Sen. John McCain will appear at a town hall meeting on Thursday. Last month, now-GOP vice presidential candidate Paul Ryan also fundraised for her. Love told the publication that such visits are important to raise money for television advertising.
"We want to make sure that everyone knows who I am and what we've been able to do in Saratoga Springs, so we're going to get on TV, and we need as much help as possible to do that," Love said. "That's why fundraising is so important. We have to be able to get the message out."
According to Deseret News, Love "matched Matheson in fundraising in the last quarter," but his campaign war chest is $1 million fuller.

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(Photos from left: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images, REUTERS/Jim Urquhart)