Less than a day after collapsing during a major annual address, Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton was back on the job.
The 69-year-old Democrat returned to the state Capitol on Tuesday morning to unveil his budget proposal as planned, hours after he collapsed during his State of the State address. Dressed in a blue suit and red tie, he walked to the podium to applause.
Before getting to his budget proposal, he picked up where he had left off hours earlier — addressing health care issues.
“I’m going to make a few opening remarks — mainly the things that I didn’t get to last night,” he began Tuesday.
Dayton had been addressing lawmakers Monday night in his State of the State speech in St. Paul when he paused for a sip of water.
He briefly resumed speaking — touting the success of the Affordable Care Act and MNSure, the state’s health care marketplace — before he slumped onto the lectern.
Video of Monday’s speech shows aides rushing to catch Dayton as he sinks toward the floor.
The governor’s chief of staff, Jaime Tincher, said in a statement Monday night that Dayton “briefly fainted after speaking for about 40 minutes.”
EMTs performed a routine check of the governor at the Capitol and cleared him to leave, she said.
Patrick Kessler, a reporter for CNN affiliate WCCO, tweeted that Dayton was conscious and “joking with paramedics.”
Dayton “quickly recovered, walked out of the Capitol and returned home” to spend time with his son and grandson, Tincher said.
His son, Eric Dayton, tweeted that the governor was “doing great” and thanked people for their support.
Video of the State of the State event shows Dayton, who turns 70 on Thursday, losing his footing Monday evening as he walked to the lectern to address the joint session of lawmakers.
Officials from both sides of the aisle were quick to offer their support.
“He’s a tough old bird,” state Rep. Melissa Hortman told WCCO. “As everybody in Minnesota knows, he’s a former goalie, so he’s suffered hits before and bounced back.”
“Gov. Dayton is in my thoughts and prayers tonight,” state House Speaker Kurt Daudt said in a statement. “I was encouraged to see him walk from the House chamber on his own, and I join Minnesotans in wishing him a speedy recovery.”
