Missouri lawmaker’s husband dies of Covid

Missouri state Rep. Sara Walsh said Thursday that her husband died of Covid-19.

“It saddens my heart to share that this morning my best friend and beloved husband Steve Walsh was welcomed to Heaven’s glory into the arms of Jesus Christ his Lord and Savior. Arrangements pending. Thank you to everyone who has lifted us up in prayer,” she wrote on Twitter.

Walsh, a Republican, tweeted earlier this month that her husband was “very sick” and in the hospital after the couple contracted Covid. The couple had not been vaccinated against the virus.

Walsh said previously that she and her husband did not get the vaccine because it has not been fully approved by the Food and Drug Administration. She added that she had friends who had negative reactions after getting inoculated.

The three vaccines in use in the U.S. — produced by Pfizer/BioNTech, Moderna and Johnson & Johnson — were shown to be safe and effective in clinical trials of tens of thousands of volunteers. Health officials say getting vaccinated against Covid is the best strategy to prevent the virus from causing serious illness or death.

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Walsh was first elected to the state House in 2017 and is currently running for U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler’s 4th congressional seat, as Hartzler runs for Senate.

Steve Walsh was Hartzler’s press secretary and had worked with her for 10 years.

She said in a statement that she was “saddened” by Walsh’s death.

“We loved Steve for his enormous heart, passion for life, and the joy he brought to everyone who was lucky enough to meet him. His love of God and his beautiful wife, Sara, was undeniable,” Hartzler said.

The Associated Press contributed.