Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced on Tuesday that his wife, Gayle, was hospitalized after a car accident in Alabama this week.
The crash took place on Monday as Gayle, who is co-chairwoman of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), travelled with her colleague Guy Land from the airport to a hotel in Birmingham for an ARC event that was planned for Tuesday, the lawmaker said in a statement.
“Both were admitted to UAB Hospital and are receiving excellent care,” Sen. Manchin said. “She remains in stable condition but will stay there for a couple of days for precautionary measures. We want to thank the first responders who answered the call and were first on-site to provide assistance and support.”
Gayle Manchin, who is in her mid-70s, was first lady of West Virginia when her husband served as governor from 2005 to 2010. She worked as an educator who, among other roles, served as the state’s secretary of education and arts for a time.
In 2021, President Joe Biden nominated Gayle Manchin to serve on the ARC, which is an “economic development partnership” entity of the federal government and 13 state governments around the Appalachian region, and she was approved by the Senate later that year.
Joe Manchin, who has served in the Senate since 2010, announced last year that he would not seek re-election in 2024, but the Democrat kept the door open to a potential run for the White House.
The senator’s biography page says he has been married to Gayle for more than five decades and they have three children together, as well as several grandchildren.
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Some of Manchin’s Senate colleagues took to X to wish Gayle Manchin and Land well after the announcement of their car accident.
“As an Appalachian state, my office has worked closely with Gayle Manchin and Guy Land on the Appalachian Regional Commission for years. I’m praying for a full and quick recovery for both of them and sending well wishes to both of their families,” said Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA).
“Wesley and I are praying for a speedy recovery for Gayle Manchin and Guy Land. We are grateful for the work of some of Alabama’s tremendous first responders who answered this call and know that they’re in excellent hands at UAB,” said Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL).