Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear (D) sent a letter to Senator Mitch McConnell’s (R-KY) office, requesting a health update after he was hospitalized last month.
“As public officeholders, we have made a commitment to our constituents to do our best to represent them and to always be transparent. I believe this requires clear communication about one’s ability to serve,” the letter read. “We wish you a safe and speedy recovery.”
“Over the last several weeks, Kentuckians have grown increasingly concerned about the health and well-being of Sen. McConnell. As Governor – and a fellow public official who understands the commitment we’ve made to the people we serve – I am requesting the Senator provide an update on his current health status,” Beshear said in a statement. “Allowing speculation to continue in the media is not fair to the Senator or to Kentuckians, and my hope is that this provides him the opportunity to share the information in a transparent manner, direct from the source. I wish him a safe and speedy recovery.”
A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said he spoke to McConnell over the phone this week, where they had a “lengthy and substantive conversation that covered a variety of topics, including national security,” the Associated Press reported.
McConnell is set to retire at the end of his term. He was first elected in 1984. In 2023, McConnell was hospitalized after a fall at a Washington-area hotel, where he suffered a concussion and required treatment. In another incident that year, McConnell appeared to freeze mid-sentence and was escorted away by his staff.
