Gayle Manchin, wife of Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), has been hospitalized following a car crash in Alabama, the Daily Wire reported. Her husband said she's in "stable condition" but is being monitored.
The accident happened Monday as Gayle Manchin was traveling from the airport to an event in Birmingham for the Appalachian Regional Commission, which she co-chairs. She was riding with another colleague when the crash occurred.
"On Monday, my wife Gayle and her colleague Guy Land were involved in a car accident on the way from the airport to the hotel in Birmingham, Alabama, for an Appalachian Regional Commission event that was planned for today. Both were admitted to UAB Hospital and are receiving excellent care," Joe Manchin wrote in a statement Tuesday.
"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," the West Virginia Democrat added.
The organization Gayle Manchin and Land were representing is an "economic development partnership" between the federal government and 13 states in Appalachia. The 76-year-old grandmother was part of the ARC after being nominated in 2021 by President Joe Biden and approved by the Senate in 2023.
Several of the senator's colleagues expressed well wishes for those involved in the accident. "As an Appalachian state, my office has worked closely with Gayle Manchin and Guy Land on the Appalachian Regional Commission for years," Sen. Bob Casey (D-PA) said.
"I’m praying for a full and quick recovery for both of them and sending well wishes to both of their families," Casey added. Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) also offered her prayers for Gayle Manchin and Land.
"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," Britt said.
Prior to her most recent endeavor, Gayle Manchin was also a teacher and served a stint as the state's secretary of education and arts. She became first lady while her husband was governor between 2005 to 2010.
After leaving the governor's mansion, Joe Manchin joined the Senate in 2010. With 14 years of service in Congress under his belt, he recently announced that he would retire after his current term expires.
Some believe Joe Manchin still may make a play for the White House, however. When asked by NBC News Meet the Press moderator Kristen Welker about the idea, he said he would consider it as a third-party candidate.
"I will do anything I can to help my country, and you're saying, 'Does that mean you would consider it?' Absolutely," Manchin told Welker in November. "Every American should consider it if they're in a position to help save the country."
Joe and Gayle Manchin have been married for more than 50 years. The pair has three adult children and many grandchildren together.
While discussions about politics are vital to the future of the nation, they don't matter much when someone is injured. Hopefully, Gayle Manchin and Guy Land will continue to recover and improve.
