Sen. Johnny Isakson revealed Wednesday that he has been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, but the Georgia Republican vowed that he’ll run for re-election next year.
“My diagnosis has not impacted my ability to represent the state of Georgia in the U.S. Senate,” Isakson said in a statement. “I remain devoted to public service, to my state and to my constituents. I am eager to take my record of results to the voters of Georgia as I run for re-election in 2016.”
Isakson, 70, said he first went to a neurologist in 2012 for stiffness in his left arm, and after continuous visits, he was diagnosed with the disease in August 2013. He said told his three children and his senior staff “a couple of months ago,” but he did not explain in his statement why he waited nearly two years to publicly reveal his diagnosis.
A spokeswoman for Isakson’s press office said Wednesday afternoon she had no additional comment.
Isakson’s neurologist, Thomas M. Holmes, also released a statement through the senator’s office Wednesday and said as of late May, the Georgia senator was in an early stage of the disease.
“He has continued to maintain his rigorous Senate schedule without difficulty since 2012,” Holmes said in his statement. “I believe he is fully capable of continuing to perform his duties as a U.S. senator, and I believe he is fully capable of running for re-election and serving for another term.”
Roger Wicker, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Wednesday that Isakson is a “tireless advocate” for Georgia, adding that “today’s news does not change that.”
“If anything, it will embolden him,” Wicker said in a statement.
Parkinson’s disease is a neurological disorder that affects the way an individual is able to regulate and control their body movements. Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s, there are various ways to treat the symptoms.
Isakson said he does daily exercises and takes two Parkinson’s medications, and he has also underwent physical therapy specifically designed for Parkinson’s symptoms.
Isakson currently serves on five Senate committees and has served in the Senate since 2005. He also served in the House of Representatives prior to his time in the Senate and spent 17 years in the Georgia state legislature.
While in Congress, Isakson also served as a co-chair on the Congressional Caucus on Parkinson’s disease. This group initiated a resolution in the Senate last year to make April Parkinson’s Awareness Month.