Remembering Sam

September 6, 2026

There are people whose absence is difficult to understand because they were so thoroughly in the middle of things. Sam Lofton was one of those people. He was a father, a son, a brother, a neighbor, an advocate, and, until this week, a candidate for mayor of Costa Nova. He was someone who could turn a five-minute conversation into twenty because he had one more question to ask, one more point to make, or one more story he was convinced you needed to hear.

On September 3, Sam died unexpectedly at home. He was 47.

For many people in Costa Nova, the name Lofton carries history. Sam's father, former Mayor Samuel Lofton Sr., spent years in public service and remains one of the city's most recognizable political figures. Sam understood the weight of that name. He also spent much of his life insisting that it did not define him.

Those who knew him best knew a man who cared deeply about this city, but who was never particularly interested in pretending everything about it was fine. He asked uncomfortable questions. He challenged people he respected. He could disagree with you for an hour and then ask whether you wanted something to eat.

This year's mayoral campaign brought that side of him into public view. Sam spoke frequently about affordable housing, public spending, environmental protection, local businesses, and Costa Nova's growing dependence on a small number of wealthy interests. Whether you agreed with him or not, he believed that people deserved to understand the decisions being made in their name.

He once described accountability as something very simple:

“If the answer is good, there shouldn't be a reason to be afraid of the question.”

Sam asked a lot of questions. He expected answers. But politics was only one part of his life. His family remembers the man who called too often, stayed too long, remembered birthdays, argued loudly, laughed even louder, and never learned how to make the correct amount of food for the number of people coming over.

His brothers remember someone who could make them laugh at moments when none of them thought laughing was possible. His mother, Odessa Lofton, has asked that the community remember Sam not simply as a candidate or as the son of a former mayor, but as the boy she raised and the man she was proud to watch become himself.

His campaign ended before Costa Nova had the opportunity to decide whether Sam Lofton should be its next mayor. His questions did not. Perhaps that is the most appropriate way to remember him. Keep asking.

Sam Lofton 1979–2026

The Lofton family has requested privacy. Information regarding memorial services will be shared when available.