New York City mayoral candidate Andrew Yang, the former long-shot presidential candidate, was hospitalized Friday after experiencing abdominal pain and has cancelled upcoming events scheduled for later in the day.
“After experiencing abdominal pain this morning, [Andrew Yang] visited an ER where he was diagnosed with what appears to be kidney stone,” said co-campaign manager Chris Coffey in a Twitter statement. “He remains at the hospital with Evelyn. His events for the day are cancelled, but he looks forward to getting back out on the trail soon.”
Update: After experiencing abdominal pain this morning, @AndrewYang visited an ER where he was diagnosed with what appears to be kidney stone. He remains at the hospital with Evelyn. His events for the day are cancelled, but he looks forward to getting back out on the trail soon.
— Chris Coffey (@chriscoffeytalk) April 2, 2021
Yang has since been released from the hospital, and put out a statement on Twitter several after hours his co-campaign manager’s statement: “Thank you to the team at Mt Sinai West for the excellent care! And thanks Evelyn for keeping me company as I experienced my first (and hopefully last) kidney stone. Have been discharged and will now proceed to drink lots of water for the rest of the day.”
Thank you to the team at Mt Sinai West for the excellent care! And thanks Evelyn for keeping me company as I experienced my first (and hopefully last) kidney stone. Have been discharged and will now proceed to drink lots of water for the rest of the day. 👍 https://t.co/qWJuTou2b6 pic.twitter.com/cqY4LKNSU5
— Andrew Yang🧢🗽🇺🇸 (@AndrewYang) April 2, 2021
Yang, the highest-polling Democratic candidate by recent survey data, is running to replace the term-limited Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has been running the city since 2014. According to The New York Times, however, a recent poll also showed that half of likely Democratic voters in the city don’t know who they will vote for during the June primary.
Before he was hospitalized, Yang was expected to speak on his plan for the future of Broadway and live performances, both of which suffered greatly during the pandemic, reports Politico. Yang had also been scheduled to attend a show with his wife, Evelyn.
During the 2020 Democratic primary, Yang ran on giving every adult American $1,000 a month in a universal basic income policy he dubbed the “Freedom Dividend.” Now running to be the mayor of the largest city in the United States, Yang has introduced a New York City-based policy that echoes his 2020 presidential campaign promise to provide Americans with direct monetary payments.
According to Bloomberg News, Yang has proposed a cash-relief program that would provide about 500,000 of the city’s lowest-earning residents. The program, which would reportedly cost about $1 billion annually, would send the average recipient $2,000 a year.
“Most everyone knows that if I had my way, we’d all be getting $1,000 a month from the federal government,” Yang told Bloomberg News’ CityLab. “I’m thrilled to make it happen in the biggest, greatest city in the country.”
The direct payments, however, are only one aspect of his vision for New York City.
“We need to launch the largest basic income program in history, invest in a human-centered economy, return to fact-based governance, and create an accessible healthcare system,” reads the campaign website. “We need to do all this while enacting accountable and smart policing, building affordable housing, closing our city’s digital divide, modernizing transportation and city services, and more. We will move New York forward — together.”
This article was updated after Yang announced he was released from the hospital.