North Dakota Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer suffered a seizure and a brain bleed after slipping and falling on ice in his home state.
The Republican senator took to social media to share the news, revealing that he is resting and recovering at home in the state following the incident over the weekend.
“Late yesterday afternoon, I walked to my backyard intending to retrieve a piece of conduit which came off my dock and was laying on the ice. While walking on the hill down to the dock, I stepped on ice and evidently fell hard, hitting the back of my head,” Cramer wrote in a Facebook post.
The Republican said he blacked out until he was brought to a local emergency room, accompanied by his wife, Kris.
“I do not remember anything from the fall until arriving at Sanford Health emergency room with Kris. After seeing the emergency doctor, taking some tests, including a CT Scan, and seeing a neurologist, I was diagnosed with a severe concussion, a seizure, and a slight brain bleed. The wound on my head wouldn’t stop oozing, so the doctor punched a couple of staples on the laceration and admitted me. I had a good night sleep before getting a second CT Scan,” he added.
“I am better today with only a slight brain bleed and pretty bad headaches. Doctors prefer I rest a little longer before returning to DC, so I do not know exactly when that will happen. It will be day to day this week, but I am ready to return quickly if events require it. Every day, Kris texts our family tips on how to care for our brains. She is a strong advocate for decisions which promote brain health. I need to pay more attention to her. I am grateful for her and the professionals at Sanford who take such good care of me. God is good!” Cramer concluded.
Cramer described “pretty bad headaches” the following day but said the brain bleed had improved as well as his overall condition.
The North Dakota Republican was elected to the Senate as a Republican from North Dakota in 2018 and then again in 2024. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives before that.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hurt his face and wrist when he fell on Capitol Hill in December, making Cramer the second Republican senator to have a bad accident in the past few weeks.
Last week, Senate Republicans passed their version of a multitrillion-dollar budget plan to help President Trump achieve his goals.
There were also confirmations for most of Trump’s cabinet members before Cramer fell. These included Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services Secretary, Tulsi Gabbard as Director of National Intelligence, and Kash Patel as Director of the FBI.
Linda McMahon, who is being considered to be the next Education Secretary, had her nomination approved by a committee last week. She could still be put to a vote on the floor in the next few days.
The North Dakotan’s absence means that there are now 52 Republicans in the Senate, which is still a majority.
Late last year, Cramer also went through a terrible event: his son Ian was given 28 years in prison for killing a sheriff’s deputy during a high-speed car chase.
During his trial, Ian Cramer said that he had used methamphetamine and bath salts on the day of the fatal crash in December 2023.
The senator said that his 43-year-old son also “suffers from serious mental disorders that manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations.”
