Rep. Jennifer Wexton Announces Parkinson’s Disease Diagnosis

Rep. Jennifer Wexton (D-Va.) said Tuesday that she’s been diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, impacting her speaking and walking.

“If there’s one thing that Democrats and Republicans can agree on, it’s that Parkinson’s disease sucks,” Wexton, 54, said in a video on Twitter on Tuesday, World Parkinson’s Day. “Today, on World Parkinson’s Day, I’m here to tell you that I’ve come to learn this firsthand. And that’s because I’ve learned that I, too, have Parkinson’s, or what some people call PD for short.”

Parkinson’s disease is a “brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements” that progressively gets worse, according to the National Institutes of Health. Some 500,000 people across the U.S. have been diagnosed with Parkinson’s, but up to that many others may have it without receiving a diagnosis, according to the NIH. Public figures such as actor Michael J. Fox and boxer Muhammad Ali (who died in 2016) are among those diagnosed with the disease.

Wexton said the disease has affected her speech and gait.

“You may notice I speak more quickly now. It also has affected how I walk and keep my balance,” she said.

Wexton added that she is maintaining a positive attitude, and is being supported by her friends and family.

“What Parkinson’s is not is an untreatable disease, a cognitive impairment, or a death sentence,” she said. “So, please! You are welcome to empathize, but don’t feel sorry for me.”

Wexton said she remains committed to her constituents and hopes to continue working for years to come.

“I chose to come forward today, on World Parkinson’s Day, because I want to bring about as much good from this diagnosis as I can, and I look forward to doing just that here in Congress,” she said.

Wexton was first elected to her House seat representing Washington’s Virginia suburbs in 2019. Before that, she was a domestic violence prosecutor and served in the Virginia House of Delegates for five years.