U.S. Sen. Ben Ray Lujan, D-N.M., has been hospitalized after suffering a stroke last week, when he began to experience dizziness and fatigue, according to his chief of staff.
His emergency brain surgery was successful and he is expected to make a full recovery, Lujan’s office said.
The 49-year-old Democrat rushed himself into a hospital in Santa Fe on Thursday. His chief of staff, Carlos Sanchez, said the senator was then transferred to a hospital in Albuquerque for further evaluation.
“Senator Lujan was found to have suffered a stroke in the cerebellum, affecting his balance,” the statement released Tuesday said. “As part of his treatment plan, he subsequently underwent decompressive surgery to ease swelling.”
His office added that Lujan is still in the hospital but is expected to recover.
It was initially unclear when Lujan would return to the Senate and what impact his absence would have.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters he was anticipating Lujan’s “quick return to the Senate,” adding, “I believe the Senate will be able to carry forward with its business.”
But in Lujan’s absence, Democrats would have just 49 votes compared to Republicans’ 50, assuming all other senators are healthy. There might be instances in which Democrats would lack the votes needed to approve legislation or nominations over unanimous GOP opposition.
Democrats will retain majority control of the chamber because its membership is divided 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris able to cast tie-breaking votes.
New Mexico’s other senator, Democrat Martin Heinrich, sent his regards to Lujan. “I know that all of my fellow Senators and our constituents in New Mexico join me in sending our best wishes to him, his family, and his staff,” he wrote in a tweet.
The surgery Lujan underwent is a decompressive craniectomy, which temporarily removes a piece of the skull to allow a swelling brain room to expand.
Lujan won the Senate seat in 2020 after serving six terms in the House, where he was a trusted ally of Speaker Nancy Pelosi. As one of the highest-ranking Latinos in Congress, Lujan led the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, the party’s arm that supports House candidates, in the 2016 and 2018 elections.
The Associated Press contributed to this article