NEW: GOP Senator Suffers Brain Bleed, Seizure In Major Health Scare

A brain bleed and severe concussion nearly took the life of a Republican U.S. senator on Sunday, he revealed to social media followers on Monday.

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) was walking outside his Bismarck home when he slipped on a patch of black ice and fell, hitting his head on a hardened sloped hill. He said he couldn’t remember anything about the accident until he regained consciousness at the city’s Sanford Health hospital with his wife, Kris.

Lacerations from the fall were so severe that Cramer’s wound was stapled shut and he was admitted for the night.

For the time being, doctors are encouraging Sen. Cramer to rest round-the-clock, and it’s unclear when he may be able to return to the nation’s capital.

“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,” he wrote on Facebook. “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. I am better today with only a slight brain bleed and pretty bad headaches.”

Sen. Cramer thanked his friends and constituents for their well-wishes on his page and joked that Kris is sending him daily tips to care for his brain while he heals.

“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!” he added.

Cramer gained his seat in the Senate after defeating Democrat Heidi Heitkamp in 2018, and before that served three terms in the U.S. House. He and his wife have been married since 1986 and share five children.

In the Senate, Cramer was a reliable vote against former President Joe Biden and an early endorser of President Donald Trump in late 2023. He received the former president’s endorsement in his 2024 reelection, which he won easily with 66.5% of the vote, according to NBC.