A long-time staffer for Barack Obama from Evanston died after collapsing last week at the president’s campaign headquarters in Chicago.

Alex Okrent, 29, was pronounced dead at Northwestern Memorial Hospital on Friday, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. He worked in the campaign’s paid media department, which is responsible for all advertising this election cycle.

Okrent graduated in 2001 from Evanston Township High School before attending Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Okrent had worked on Obama’s 2008 presidential bid and 2004 run for the Illinois Senate, the Sun-Times reported.

Obama’s campaign said the president called Okrent parents, who live in Evanston, to offer his condolences.

Several members of Obama’s reelection team, including the president himself, took to Twitter to reflect on Okrent’s time with the campaign.

“A beloved member of our campaign family, Alex Okrent, passed away today, ” Obama tweeted with his initials, meaning he personally composed the message. “Our prayers are with his loved ones. We will miss you, Alex -bo”

Obama’s rival, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, weighed in as well, tweeting that he and his wife Ann were “deeply saddened” to hear about Okrent’s death.

– Patrick Svitek