The Democrats’ fragile hold on the Senate majority became even more tenuous Wednesday with the sudden illness of New Mexico Sen. Ben Ray Luján, which sent shock waves through the party and threatens President Joe Biden’s Supreme Court pick and already lagging legislative agenda.
The senator’s office announced that the 49-year-old Democrat remained hospitalized after suffering a stroke and is expected to make a full recovery. But Senate colleagues were blindsided by the news — even top-ranking leaders were reportedly unaware that Luján, among the youngest members of the chamber, fell ill last Thursday, a stunning oversight. He could be gone for at least a month.
