BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) - Gov. John Bel Edwards’ top budget architect spent the weekend in the hospital after suffering a heart attack.
Commissioner of Administration Jay Dardenne was discharged Monday, according to spokesman Cody Wells.
In a statement, Dardenne said he woke up Saturday morning “feeling pressure in my chest,” and went to the hospital. He said an exam “revealed some blockages” for which he was treated.
He said he was heeding his doctors’ advice regarding rest but look forward to returning to work as soon as he’s cleared.
Dardenne, a Republican former lieutenant governor and state senator, unsuccessfully ran for governor last year. After his loss, Dardenne endorsed the Democratic Edwards and was named commissioner after Edwards’ victory.
In the job, Dardenne is the lead adviser on working through billions in budget shortfalls.
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