Sept. 25 (UPI) — A Democratic candidate running to represent Florida in the U.S. House, April Freeman, has died, her family announced Monday.
Freeman’s husband, David Freeman, shared a post on her Facebook page announcing she died Sunday night at the age of 54.
“Its with great sadness that I feel I must inform all of you that my beloved wife April passed away suddenly last night. To all of her family and friends here on Facebook, my heart aches with you,” he wrote.
April Freeman won the Democratic congressional primary and was set to face State Sen. Greg Steube for the 17th District congressional seat, Florida’s WWSB reported.
Under a Florida statute, a committee made up of all of the county chairs from the affected counties will be required to name a nominee to face Steube within the next five days.
Steube released a statement Monday following the news of April Freeman’s death.
“My thoughts and prayers are with April Freeman’s family in the wake of her tragic passing. I respect her service to our community and admire her commitment to the causes she cared about. Out of respect to her memory, next week’s campaign event will be canceled,” he said.
The Sarasota County Democratic Party also mourned April Freeman in a statement.
“April was a beautiful person. She worked tirelessly for veterans, seniors, and the entire community. We are heartbroken and send our condolences to her family and friends,” the party said.
Freeman was a film and television producer who lived in Fort Myers and graduated from the Women’s Campaign School at Yale, through Yale Law School in 2013, according to her campaign website.
She is survived by her husband, her two children and two grandchildren.
