Mississippi Lt. Gov. Delbert Hosemann collapsed on the floor of the state Senate Wednesday morning, with staffers and fellow pols rushing to his aid.
One second Hosemann was standing at his podium at the front of the chamber, the Mississippi Clarion Ledger reported, and the next he was slumping over it before tumbling sideways onto the floor.
The incident occurred just before 11 a.m. as the Senate was poised to discuss its final appropriation bills for the day, according to Mississippi Today. A week earlier Hosemann had submitted a $326 million tax cut package.
As people clustered around him Wednesday, one staffer at the Capitol could be seen on the chamber’s livestream mouthing for someone to call 911, the Clarion Ledger reported. The legislature deleted the video soon after, and the Senate recessed until 2 p.m.
Hosemann was conscious and sitting upright as medical staff administered aid, Mississippi Today reported. He later walked out of the Capitol surrounded by staff and security, refusing a waiting ambulance to leave instead in a government vehicle.
Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted on X that he and his wife were “praying for Lieutenant Governor Hosemann!”
Hosemann’s office immediately sought to reassure Mississippians that his issue had been resolved.
“Lieutenant Governor Hosemann is doing well and in good spirits,” spokesperson Hannah Milliet said in a statement. “He appreciates all of the medical staff and is eager to return to work.”
On Wednesday evening, Hosemann said he was grateful for the concern — and a “lesson learned.”
“Thank you all for the kind words and prayers,” he said on social media. “I was dehydrated and am feeling fine now. I am grateful for Mississippi’s phenomenal medical professionals and am ready to go back to work tomorrow. Lesson learned: Stay hydrated.”
With News Wire Services
