GOP US Senate candidate Jason Lewis rushed into surgery

By STEVE KARNOWSKI Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jason Lewis has been rushed into emergency surgery for a severe internal hernia.

The Lewis campaign said in a statement Monday that the condition is life-threatening if not treated quickly. Campaign manager Tom Szymanski said Lewis experienced severe abdominal pain early Monday and was taken to an emergency room. He said Lewis, prior to surgery, was in good spirits, optimistic and speculating about when he could resume campaigning.

Lewis, a one-term former congressman best known to Minnesota voters from his days as a conservative talk radio host, is challenging incumbent Democratic U.S. Sen. Tina Smith.