Ben Luján, the state senator from New Mexico, suffers a stroke but will recover fully

Sen. Ben Ray Luján, D-N.M., is seen in his Washington office on Thursday. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call)

Ben Luján (D-N.M.), who suffered a stroke and had surgery on Feb. 1, is expected to make a full recovery. The U.S. senator was diagnosed with a stroke on Jan. 27, according to Carlos Sanchez, Luján's chief of staff.

Initially experiencing dizziness and fatigue on Thursday morning, Sen. Luján checked into Christus St Vincent Regional Hospital in Santa Fe. He was then referred to the University of New Mexico hospital for further evaluation. He was found to have suffered a stroke in the cerebellum, affecting his balance." Sanchez said.

"He underwent decompressive surgery to ease his swelling as part of his treatment plan."

As part of the surgery Luján underwent, a piece of the skull was temporarily removed to allow some room for swelling in the brain. A 49-year-old Democratic lawmaker is "resting comfortably" at a UNM hospital, Sanchez said. He is "expected to recover fully," Sanchez added.

2 Feb 2022