Sen. Tina Smith: Chest pains led to hospital stay, but doctors have given her a clean bill of health

Christopher Vondracek, Star Tribune on Jul 17, 2025

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WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Tina Smith said she experienced chest pains she feared were those of a heart attack on Wednesday morning, leading to an overnight stay at a District of Columbia hospital.

The 67-year-old Minnesota Democrat said doctors at George Washington University Hospital spent “much of the day monitoring me” and that she stayed overnight out of an abundance of caution. She was released on Thursday.

“The good news is that I got a clean bill of health,” Smith said.

Before boarding a flight back to Minneapolis, Smith spoke Thursday evening to The Minnesota Star Tribune about the health scare that left her unable to vote on the Rescission Act, which the Senate approved along mostly party lines overnight Wednesday.

Smith described her symptoms as what “you would have if you were having a heart attack.” She said she “felt really sick for a little bit” while arriving at the Capitol on Wednesday morning, but soon felt better.

However, a Senate physician recommended that she go to the hospital.

Smith said the experience reminded her of what she’s heard before from doctors: that women experience heart disease distress like men, but sometimes forgo getting medical attention.

On the social media account X, Smith posted a photograph holding a doughnut, writing: “What’s that old saying? A donut a day keeps the doctor away?”

“In all seriousness,” she continued, “an immense, heartfelt thank you to everyone for the well wishes, and a special thanks to my incredible care team at George Washington University Hospital.”

Earlier this year, Smith announced she will not run for reelection in 2026. The former businesswoman and lieutenant governor has served in the Senate since 2018.

Before passage of the Rescission Act, which slashes $1 billion from public media among other federal cuts, Smith had voiced ardent opposition to the bill. Her staff said she’d received an unprecedented amount of constituent messages on the bill, some “tens of thousands,” and would’ve voted against it.