Obama Campaign Worker, Wesleyan Grad, 29, Dies in Chicago

Obama campaign staffer, Alexander Okrent, 29, of Evanston, Ill., collapsed at Chicago headquarters and died at a local hospital Friday morning, according to an article in the Hartford Courant. Okrent graduated from Wesleyan University in 2005.

Politico says Okrent was the paid media and polling regional director for the campaign since 2004. He was on the Wesleyan Class of 2005 reunion committee, which gathered May 20-23, 2010, in Middletown.

By 2 a.m. Saturday, the Chicago Sun-Times issued this editor's note to preface its story: "Due to the tone and content of many of the comments associated with this story, commenting has been turned off. The Sun-Times encourages readers to make their voices heard, but commenting must maintain a respectful and constructive tone."

The Daily Beast is reporting that Obama called Okrent's family with condolences, and commemorating "a beloved member of our campaign family," in a Tweet. Mitt Romney also tweeted, "Ann & I were deeply saddened to learn of the death of Alex Okrent."

CBS Chicago added the following to its story: "His parents say the Wesleyan graduate had a heart attack after working out. Lynn Pollack says her son loved politics and life. He studied government, social theory, economics and history and was committed to the Democratic Party,"

Okrent, @HeyAok on Twitter, wrote on his profile, "I am in earnest. I will not equivocate, I will not excuse, I will not retreat a single inch, and I will be heard." His last Tweet was July 12 at 4:41 p.m.