Rep. Jamaal Bowman’s (D-N.Y.) mother died this week from COVID-19, the first-term lawmaker shared on Tuesday.
“It is with deep sorrow that I share the passing of our mother, Ms. Pauline Bowman. She battled Covid for many weeks before transitioning on Valentine’s Day,” Bowman tweeted Tuesday.
“Our mother raised us to live our lives with love and joy with and for each other. I share her legacy with all of you,” he added alongside a photo of his mother.
A slate of fellow lawmakers, organizations and others shared their condolences on Twitter.
Bowman, who was elected to the House of Representatives in 2020, said on his campaign website that he “didn’t have much growing up, but his mother provided him all that he needed: love, a stable family, and a sense of community.”
Bowman is not the first lawmaker to lose a loved one to COVID-19 amid the ongoing pandemic. Rep. Maxine Water’s (D-Calif.) sister died of complications from the virus, in addition to Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s (D-Mass.) eldest brother. Rep. Ilhan Omar’s (D-Minn.) father also died of the coronavirus.
The U.S. has reported more than 486,754 coronavirus fatalities since March.