WASHINGTON — Sen. Mitch McConnell on Sunday revealed for the first time that a fall led to his hospitalization, breaking the silence about his condition after weeks of mounting speculation about the Kentucky Republican’s health.

McConnell, 84, said in a statement that he was “briefly unconscious” around the time he was first taken to the hospital and has undergone a battery of tests to try and determine what led to his fall. He said he was also treated for mild pneumonia and has been moved to a rehabilitation facility.

“My doctors have confirmed that I didn’t break any bones or suffer a concussion. I didn’t have a heart attack or a stroke. I don’t have any tumors or hemorrhages,” McConnell said, adding that he is now “regaining my strength.”

McConnell’s statement came on the heels of the unexpected death of his fellow Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina. McConnell said he cannot return to the Senate “quite yet.”

Coupled with Graham’s passing, that will temporarily whittle the GOP majority in that chamber down by two, to 51-47, as Republicans try to increase military funding, advance President Donald Trump’s agenda and confirm Trump’s nominees.

  • TheTechnician27@lemmy.worldEnglish
    8·
    8 hours ago

    It’s Beshear*, the sheriffs of each county have to be notified 63 days before the election, McConnell’s seat is already being voted on this November (requiring essentially parallel campaigns), and most importantly, Beshear can only call a special election if the seat is certified vacant – i.e., in this case, if McConnell is declared legally dead or e.g. provably in a severe disabling condition. Notably, a vacancy for senator, governor, etc. aren’t formally defined, but we can turn to candidacies:

    If a vacancy occurs in the nomination of an unopposed candidate or in a nomination made by the primary […] because of death or severe disabling condition which arose after the nomination, the governing authority of the party may provide for filling the vacancy, but only following certification to the governing authority, by the Secretary of State [edit: notably, the incumbent SoS is a Republican], that a vacancy exists for a reason specified in this subsection. When such a nomination has been made, the certificate of nomination shall be signed by the chair and secretary of the governing authority of the party making it, and shall be filed in the same manner as certificates of nomination at a primary.

    So probably a very similar process for senator: you’d need to actually certify that McConnell is dead or in such a severe, debilitating condition (not just temporary) that he cannot act as a senator.