Senator Bernie Sanders is taking some time off the 2020 campaign trail after undergoing a procedure Tuesday night to tackle a blocked artery. Sanders was campaigning in Las Vegas when he experienced “chest discomfort.”
Sanders’ Senior Advisor Jeff Weaver released the following statement:
During a campaign event yesterday evening, Sen. Sanders experienced some chest discomfort. Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery and two stents were successfully inserted. Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days. We are canceling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.
While Sanders is attracting the youngest voting bloc, at 78, Sanders himself is the oldest candidate in the presidential race. While he’s acknowledged that his age may give voters paused, he’s largely brushed it off, telling Politico in 2018: “Look, you’ve got people who are 50 years of age who are not well, right? You’ve got people who are 90 years of age who are going to work every day doing excellent work. And obviously, age is a factor. But it depends on the overall health and well being of the individual.”
Sanders does not have a known history of cardiovascular issues.