Rep. Jennifer Wexton, a Democrat who flipped a Northern Virginia seat in 2018, will not seek reelection next year after receiving a new health diagnosis that is more challenging than Parkinson’s disease.
Wexton, 55, said Monday that doctors modified her diagnosis to progressive supranuclear palsy, which she described as “a kind of ‘Parkinson’s on steroids.’”
“I’ve always believed that honesty is the most important value in public service, so I want to be honest with you now — this new diagnosis is a tough one,” she said in a statement. “There is no ‘getting better’ with PSP. I’ll continue treatment options to manage my symptoms, but they don’t work as well with my condition as they do for Parkinson’s.”
