Mark Silva, an icon of Florida political reporting who went on to cover the White House for the Chicago Tribune, has died. He was 63 and recently diagnosed with brain cancer.
Silva was a highly respected, and sometimes feared, Capitol Bureau Chief for the Miami Herald.
He was known for cranking out reams of hard-hitting dailies and provocative weekenders that were must reads in top political circles.
At a time when newspapers maintained robust Capitol bureaus, Silva consistently beat competitors to the punch.
The politicians he covered, and sometimes skewered, considered Silva tough but fair. Former Gov. Jeb Bush described Silva as a "good man" in a statement that concluded, "I was lucky to know him."
Silva is survived by his wife of 33 years, Nina, two children, Dylan and Lisa, and a grandson, Noah.
