Sen. Bernie Sanders has cancelled his events until further notice as he is recovering from an emergency heart procedure to treat a blocked artery.
The 78-year-old Vermont senator began experiencing chest pains during a campaign appearance in Las Vegas on Tuesday evening.
“Following medical evaluation and testing he was found to have a blockage in one artery, and two stents were successfully inserted,” senior campaign advisor Jeff Weaver said in a statement. “Sen. Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days,” the statement said.
In addition to canceling at least 10 appearances scheduled for Las Vegas and California through Friday, the campaign postponed a planned $1.3-million television ad buy in Iowa. The commercial, Sanders’ first of the election cycle, portrays him as a fighter for the working class.
In a tweet later Wednesday, Sanders said he is “feeling good.” He used his situation to make the case for government-run universal health care, his signature campaign policy.
Sanders is the oldest presidential candidate seeking to challenge President Donald Trump in 2020. The Vermont independent is two years older than former Vice President Joe Biden, who has led most national and state primary polls despite concerns about his mental sharpness.
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