Updated at 3:56 p.m.
Sen. Mark MacDonald, D-Orange, experienced a “mild stroke” Sunday night, according to a press release issued by his family on Wednesday.
“Mark is in good spirits as he tackles this unexpected challenge. He and his family expect a speedy recovery,” his family said in the release. MacDonald is currently receiving care at the University of Vermont Medical Center.
According to the statement, “Mark will next undergo a physical therapy regimen. When he hits all his milestones, Senator MacDonald will resume his campaign for re-election.”
The 79-year-old Williamstown resident, who has represented Orange County in the Senate for decades, is currently in a closely watched race against Brookfield farmer, attorney and former gubernatorial candidate Republican John Klar.
Both Democratic and Republican party leaders have flagged the race as one to watch this November, given Klar’s name recognition from his 2020 gubernatorial run and his conservative advocacy.
In a written statement Wednesday, Senate President Pro Tempore Becca Balint, D-Windham, called MacDonald “a trusted friend and effective public servant.”
“I am wishing him a swift recovery,” she said. “And we will do everything we can to make sure he gets re-elected.”
Due to redistricting earlier this year, MacDonald’s district lost the traditionally Democratic town of Thetford, and picked up Bradford, which has in the past been part of what used to be a two-member Caledonia County district.
A retired teacher and farmer and a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War, MacDonald was first appointed to the Vermont House in 1983, to fill a vacancy created by the death of his mother. MacDonald was elected to the Vermont Senate in 1996 and held the seat until his vote for civil unions in 2000 contributed to his defeat. He won the seat back in 2002 and has served in the chamber ever since.
MacDonald is vice chair of the powerful Senate Committee on Finance and serves on the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Energy.
