Iowa Republican Gov. Terry Branstad was taken to the hospital in an ambulance Monday after falling ill at an event in Johnston, Iowa. Doctors opted to keep him there overnight for “observation, rest and hydration,” a statement from the governor’s office said.
Branstad was “conscious and alert” while being transported to Methodist hospital in Des Moines, his office confirmed.
“The governor had been suffering from the effects of a cold for a couple of days,” Branstad’s spokesman Jimmy Centers said.
Dr. Mark Purtle, chief medical officer of UnityPoint Health-Des Moines, said the governor was suffering from a “viral illness with dehydration.”
“After personally reviewing the governor’s medical records, with his permission, and visiting with him and his attending physicians, we believe the governor has a viral illness with dehydration,” he said in a statement. “We also conducted a series of tests in which we ruled out other contributing factors, including cardiac issues. The governor is still receiving fluids and is resting comfortably.”
Branstad, 68, was sworn into office earlier this month for his sixth non-consecutive term. He’s on track to become the longest-serving governor in U.S. history later this year.