Bernie Sanders, the Vermont senator running for the Democratic presidential nomination, has suspended his campaign after undergoing an emergency heart procedure, a development that could upend the race to challenge Donald Trump in 2020.
The Sanders campaign said in a statement on Wednesday that the 78-year-old self-described socialist was hospitalised on Tuesday evening after experiencing chest discomfort and ended up having two stents inserted to address a blockage in an artery.
“Senator Sanders is conversing and in good spirits. He will be resting up over the next few days,” said Jeff Weaver, a top aide. “We are cancelling his events and appearances until further notice, and we will continue to provide appropriate updates.”
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The suspension comes just four months before the Democrats face the first real test of their campaigns with the Iowa caucuses, which kick off party voting in the 2020 race, followed shortly afterwards by the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries.
It also comes at a pivotal point in the Democratic presidential campaign as Elizabeth Warren, the Massachusetts senator whose campaign platform is similar to Mr Sanders’, eclipses the Vermont senator and starts to catch up with Joe Biden, the former vice-president who for months held a significant lead in polls.
