Candidate for U.S. Senate Jason Lewis is recovering after undergoing successful emergency surgery Monday.
Lewis' campaign manager Tom Szymanski released a statement Monday morning saying that the former Congressman was taken to the emergency room with severe abdominal pain.
After some tests and exams, doctors determined that he had a severe internal hernia, which they "indicated is life-threatening if not treated quickly."
Lewis was rushed into emergency surgery, which several hours later was deemed a success.
“I am very pleased to report that according to Congressman Lewis’ doctor, his emergency surgery this morning to treat an internal hernia was successful and minimally invasive," Szymanski said in a released statement. "Provided that his recovery continues on a positive trajectory, doctors anticipate that he is likely to be released from the hospital in the next couple of days. On behalf of Jason and his wife Leigh, thank you for all the prayers and well wishes that have poured in from across the nation, and let me assure you that nothing will keep Jason Lewis sidelined in his fight to protect Minnesotans from the radical left’s assault on our police officers, economy and our Minnesota way of life.”
Lewis, a Republican, is running against incumbent Democratic Sen. Tina Smith for one of Minnesota's two U.S. Senate seats. Smith won a special election in 2018 for the remaining two years of former Sen. Al Franken's term. She is now running for a full six-year term.
Lewis was a long-time conservative radio talk show host nicknamed Mr. Right. He won a trip to Congress in 2016 in Minnesota's Second District but was unseated in 2018 by Democrat Angie Craig.
"Please join me in praying for a successful surgery and a quick and speedy recovery for Jason," Szymanski wrote on Monday. "Our campaign will release more information as it becomes available."