U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski, R-Ind., was killed Wednesday afternoon in a car accident near Nappanee, Indiana.
According to ABC57, three others died in the crash, including the two other passengers in Walorski’s vehicle, Zachery Potts and Emma Thomson, and the sole occupant of the other vehicle, 56-year-old Edith Schmucker of Nappanee.
Per Reuters, Thomson was Walorski’s communications director, and Potts was a local Republican county chair.
Confirming the news Wednesday via the congresswoman’s verified Twitter account, her staff wrote: “Dean Swihart, Jackie’s husband, was just informed by the Elkhart County Sheriff’s office that Jackie was killed in a car accident this afternoon. She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers.”
As the tragic news broke, condolences poured in from the congresswoman’s colleagues via social media.
“This is devastating news,” tweeted Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga. “We are all heartbroken for this loss. Jackie was a wonderful person. We will be praying for her family, friends, and district, as well as the loss of her team members in the car.”
Rep. Kat Cammack, R-Fla., echoed those sentiments, tweeting: “This afternoon’s tragic passing of my colleague Rep. Walorski and her team is heartbreaking and so devastating to all of us who have had the honor of working with them. She and her team embodied what service-before-self means and have been incredible colleagues … and mentors to our office. We send our deepest prayers to their families and friends during this unimaginable time.”
According to Reuters, Walorski had represented Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District since 2012, serving on the House Ways and Means Committee and as the ranking member of the Subcommittee on Worker and Family Support.
In April, President Donald J. Trump praised Walorski, offering her his “Complete and Total Endorsement.”
“Congresswoman Jackie Walorski is a phenomenal Representative of Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District!” he said in a statement released through his Save America PAC. “Jackie is working hard to combat Joe Biden’s abysmal handling of our economy, from out-of-control inflation to soaring Gas Prices. Strong on the Border, the Second Amendment and our Military and Vets, she is fighting to advance our record of historic success.”
Responding to the news of Walorski’s death via Truth Social on Wednesday, the president wrote: “I am deeply saddened to learn of the passing of my good friend Jackie Walorski, her aide Emma Thomson, and community leader Zachery Potts. Jackie was a wonderful woman and an impassioned advocate for the people of Indiana. We worked together very closely, and I was privileged to know her for many years. May the families and loved ones of Jackie, Emma, and Zachery find comfort during this tragic time. They will be greatly missed!”
