Republican Sen. Kevin Cramer suffers severe brain injury after accident at his home

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.) suffered a severe brain injury Sunday after slipping on ice in his backyard inhis home state. The 64-year-old conservative leader reported his accident in a statement he posted via his Facebook account Monday night, explaining that he had suffered, in addition to a severe concussion, both a "slight brain bleed" and a "seizure." Also, Cramer explained that, while he does not have a return date to Washington, D.C., he may travel to the capital for important votes.

"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. 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," the senator wrote on his Facebook account.

Second serious injury in three years

In his statement, Cramer detailed that while the accident was loud and painful, he was able to sleep peacefully before undergoing a second CT scan. "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. 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," explained the Republican senator.

This is Cramer's second serious injury in recent years, following one to his right hand in 2022, which kept him away from Washington for a time. His absence in this case will leave the Republican majority in the Senate temporarily reduced to just 52 seats.