Rep. Jennifer Wexton, D-Va., won’t run for reelection for a fourth term in Virginia’s 10th Congressional District because of her health, she said in statement posted on Twitter Monday morning.
“My doctors modified my diagnosis to Progressive Supranuclear Palsy — a kind of ‘Parkinson’s on steroids,'” Wexton, 55, wrote.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy is different than Parkinson’s disease. The rare neurological disorder that has no cure progresses much more quickly than Parkinson’s, but the two neurological disorders do have similarities, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes. People with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy tend to “develop severe disability within three to five years of symptom onset. PSP can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, choking, or head injuries from falls,” according to the institute’s website.
“I am heartbroken to have to give up something I have loved after so many years of serving my community. But taking into consideration the prognosis for my health over the coming years. I have made the decision not to seek reelection once my term is complete and instead spend my valued time with Andrew, our boys, and my friends and loved ones,” she said.
An update on my health and my plans for serving #VA10 in Congress. https://t.co/815hxhtRBv
— Rep. Jennifer Wexton (@RepWexton) September 18, 2023
Wexton, of Leesburg, revealed in April on World Parkinson’s Day that she had the disorder. At that time, her speech, balance, and gait had been affected.
She said she was not making progress managing her symptoms, and said the new diagnosis is a “tough one.”
In announcing her plan to retire at the end of her term, she said, “While my time in Congress will soon come to a close, I’m just as confident and committed as ever to keep up the work that got me into this fight in the first place for my remaining time in office — to help building the future we want for our children. I am truly humbled by the trust Virginians have placed in me.”
Feature image courtesy Jennifer Wexton/Twitter
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