Sen. Joe Manchin's Wife Gayle, 76, Hospitalized After Car Accident

Joe and Gayle Manchin

Sen. Joe Manchin's wife Gayle, 76, who is the federal co-chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission, was riding in a car from the Birmingham, Ala., airport when she got into an accident, leading to her hospitalization.

Manchin, also 76, said in a statement: “On Monday, my wife Gayle and her colleague Guy Land were involved in a car accident on the way from the airport to the hotel in Birmingham, Alabama for an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) event that was planned for today. Both were admitted to UAB Hospital and are receiving excellent care."

He shared more information about Gayle's current condition, saying, "She remains in stable condition but will stay there for a couple of days for precautionary measures. We want to thank the first responders who answered the call and were first on-site to provide assistance and support."

The ARC also shared a statement about the situation, noting that Gayle and Land, a congressional liaison for the commission, were in Birmingham for an ARC grant workshop. The accident occurred when "another vehicle struck their car." The statement also added that the two are "receiving excellent medical care and remain at a UAB facility as they recover."

Manchin's colleague, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito, posted a message after news of Gayle's accident broke, writing on X, "Charlie and I are thinking about our friends Gayle Manchin and Guy Land as they recover from a car accident. We hope for a speedy recovery and are thankful for the quick action of first responders."

Previously, Gayle was the first lady of West Virginia between 2005 and 2010, and she has a career working in the field of education. From 2013 to 2014, she was the president of the West Virginia Board of Education. She took on the role of West Virginia Secretary of Education and the Arts from 2017 to early 2018.

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