WASHINGTON — Republican U.S. Rep. Jackie Walorski was killed Wednesday in a car crash in her northern Indiana district along with two members of her congressional staff and another person, police said.

The crash happened about 12:30 p.m. when a car crossed the center line on state highway and collided head-on with the SUV that Walorski was riding in, the Elkhart County Sheriff’s Office said. Three people in the SUV, including Walorski, 58, were killed, as was a woman driving the other car, authorities said.

Walorski, who served on the House Ways and Means Committee, was first elected to represent Indiana’s 2nd Congressional District in 2012. She previously served six years in the state’s Legislature.

Walorski was the top Republican on House Ethics as well as a Ways & Means subcommittee. She also was a deputy member of the GOP whip team.

Her name had been floated for Republican leadership posts. Just a very well liked, well respected member of the Conference. https://t.co/6cq3ipZmfP

— Melanie Zanona (@MZanona) August 3, 2022

“She has returned home to be with her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Please keep her family in your thoughts and prayers,” Walorski’s chief of staff Tim Cummings said in a statement.

Walorski and her husband, Dean Swihart, were previously Christian missionaries in Romania, where they established a foundation that provided food and medical supplies to impoverished children. She worked as a television news reporter in South Bend before turning to politics.

Also killed in the crash were Zachery Potts, 27, of Mishawaka, Indiana; Emma Thomson, 28, a Johnstown, Cambria County native; and Edith Schmucker, 56, of Nappanee, Indiana, according to the sheriff’s office.

Cummings confirmed that Potts and Thomson were members of Walorski’s congressional staff. Thompson was Walorski’s communications director, while Potts was her district director and the Republican chairman for northern Indiana’s St. Joseph County.

Thomson was a native of Johnstown, who was a graduate of Bishop McCort High School in Johnstown.

U.S. Rep. John Joyce, R-13, said that Thomson “loved her hometown of Johnstown and the communities where she grew up in Cambria County. Simply put, there was no greater champion for Johnstown and Cambria County in Washington, D.C. than Emma Thomson,” said Joyce, whose district covers central Pennsylvania

Thomson was aide to Joyce, who described her as having “intelligence, creativity, drive, determination, and humor,” that were “second-to-none.”

Joyce said that Thomson led her first re-election campaign.

“Emma was the voice of our team - connecting with, and reassuring, our constituents throughout the covid-19 pandemic. Nobody did more to make sure that the lights stayed on and our office stayed in communication with our constituents during those challenging and difficult times than Emma,” Joyce said.

Rep. Jackie Walorski (R-IN) died in a car crash Wednesday afternoon in Elkhart County.

Three others, including Walorski’s communications director, were reportedly killed in the crash as well. pic.twitter.com/pD8n7n6qEo

— The Recount (@therecount) August 3, 2022

Schmucker was driving the other car, according to the sheriff’s office. The crash, which occurred in a rural area near the town of Wakarusa, is still under investigation.

Indiana Republican U.S. Sen. Todd Young said he was devastated by Walorski’s death.

“Jackie loved Hoosiers and devoted her life to fighting for them,” Young said in a statement. “I’ll never forget her spirit, her positive attitude, and most importantly her friendship. All of Indiana mourns her passing, along with the tragic deaths of her staff Emma Thomson and Zach Potts.”

Walorski was seeking reelection this year to a sixth term in the solidly Republican district.

She was active on agriculture and food policy in Congress, often working across the aisle on those issues. A co-chair of the House Hunger Caucus, she introduced legislation with Democrats to bring back a Nixon-era White House event on food insecurity, the Conference on Hunger, Nutrition, and Health, which will be held in September.

Walorski was a reliable Republican vote in Congress, including against accepting the Arizona and Pennsylvania electoral votes for Biden following the Capitol insurrection.

As a member of the Indiana House, Walorski pushed anti-abortion legislation opposed gambling expansion proposals. She became a favorite of the conservative tea party movement.

Walorski lost a close 2010 congressional race to Democrat Joe Donnelly before narrowly winning the seat in 2012 as Donnelly made a successful run for the Senate. She had easily won her reelection campaigns since then.

House Republican Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy called Walorski a “no-nonsense, straight shooter.”

Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Walorski “lived a life of service.”

“She passionately brought the voices of her north Indiana constituents to the Congress, and she was admired by colleagues on both sides of the aisle for her personal kindness,” Pelosi said in a statement.

Pelosi ordered the flags at the U.S. Capitol to be flown at half-staff in Walorski’s honor. The White House said its flags would be lowered Wednesday and Thursday, and Indiana Gov. Eric Holcomb issued a similar flag directive for the state.

“At every level of public service Jackie was known to be a positive force of nature, a patriot, and a relentless policymaker with an unwavering loyalty to her constituents,” Holcomb, a Republican, said.

Democratic Rep. Annie Kuster of New Hampshire said she and Walorski bonded as newly elected members of Congress in late 2012 over their husbands’ shared love of jazz music and became friends.

“I was proud to work with her on a variety of critical issues, including legislation to address the addiction crisis, end sexual violence, and help military sexual assault survivors access the care they need,” Kuster said.

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