Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton Collapses During State of the State Address
Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton is recovering after collapsing in the middle of his State of the State address on Monday.
“Tonight, Governor Dayton briefly fainted after speaking for about 40 minutes,” his chief of staff, Jaime Tincher, said in a statement released on Twitter.
“He quickly recovered, walked out of the Capitol, and returned home. EMTs joined the Governor there, and performed a routine check. He is now spending time with his son and grandson,” the statement continued.
At his seventh State of the State address, Dayton, 69, fell in a heap at the podium as legislators raced to his side. Video of his speech shows the governor pausing for several seconds and reaching for a water bottle before slurring his speech and appearing to faint.
After spending several minutes on the ground, he walked out of the chamber with assistance.
Dayton, who turns 70 on Thursday, is planning on delivering his final biannual budget Tuesday.
Statement from Governor Dayton’s Chief of Staff: https://t.co/LRnx2d1uif pic.twitter.com/2I8OJm7PIK
— Governor Mark Dayton (@GovMarkDayton) January 24, 2017
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I'm with my dad now and he's doing great. Thank you all for your kind well-wishes and words of concern.
— Eric Dayton (@ericdayton) January 24, 2017
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Thanks again, everyone, for the outpouring of support tonight. It means a lot to me, my dad, and our family.
— Eric Dayton (@ericdayton) January 24, 2017
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“I’m with my dad now and he’s doing great,” the politician’s son Eric shared on Twitter, hours after his father’s collapse.
The governor has had a series of health concerns during his two terms. Last January, Dayton was hospitalized after fainting at a political event, and stayed overnight for observation, according to the Star Tribune. A senior adviser said the likely cause was dehydration.
