Pennsylvania Democrat suffers minor stroke, will return to Congress in six weeks

Democratic Pennsylvania Rep. Dwight Evans announced on Thursday that he recently suffered a minor stroke, which will take him away from Capitol Hill for approximately six weeks.

Evans is the second Pennsylvania lawmaker from the Keystone state to experience the medical emergency, after Sen. John Fetterman, who is also a Democrat, suffered the same fate when running for his seat in 2022. 

Evans said his stroke was so minor that he had not realized what happened at the time, and only noticed weakness in his leg. The stroke is not expected to impact his longterm ability to do his job, but could affect his walking. 

“I wanted to let my constituents know that I am recovering from a minor stroke, and I want to emphasize the word minor,” Evans said in a statement. “It was minor enough that I didn’t even realize what had happened for a few days ... In the coming months, I want to help educate people and remove the stigma that sometimes accompanies strokes – many people can recover and continue on with their life and their work."

The congressman said he received the diagnosis earlier this week, and is being treated at an inpatient rehabilitation facility where he should be remaining for another week. After that, he will continue physical therapy at an outpatient center.

Evans said he expects to be back in Washington D.C. where he would resume his work as a voting member of Congress in six weeks.

"I’m focusing on my healing and would ask for privacy during these six weeks," Evans said.

The congressman's stroke appears to be less severe than Fetterman's, who now has an auditory processing disorder. Fetterman also had cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation, which are heart conditions but doctors put in a pacemaker to help, according to Managed Healthcare Executive. 

Misty Severi is an evening news reporter for Just the News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.