The Real Reason Andrew Yang Was Just Hospitalized

New York City mayoral frontrunner Andrew Yang was admitted to the hospital Friday morning after experiencing abdominal pain, according to NBC New York. The politician canceled all events for the day to pursue treatment at a hospital in New York. His campaign attributed the cause to a kidney stone, the outlet reports. 

Around noon EDT Friday, Yang tweeted his thanks to the staff at Mount Sinai West for the care he had received. "And thanks Evelyn for keeping me company as I experienced my first (and hopefully last) kidney stone," he continued. "Have been discharged and will now proceed to drink lots of water for the rest of the day." His wife tweeted an update an hour earlier that read, "We are joking about how this kidney stone is our third baby. Apparently it's the closest men can get to labor."

This marks the second time Yang has suspended his in-person campaigning in 2021. In early February, the entrepreneur and former presidential candidate tested positive for COVID-19. He only experienced mild symptoms, so he held virtual events instead. 

Andrew Yang is only one of nearly 40 candidates who filed to enter the 2021 mayoral race to replace outgoing Mayor Bill de Blasio, who can't run again due to term limits, according to Patch. Even so, Yang is perhaps one of the most well-known contenders. He is a tech entrepreneur who gained national attention when he ran as a Democratic presidential candidate against Donald Trump in 2020 under the campaign "Make America Think Harder," according to Biography. During that time, he developed a devoted fanbase known as the Yang Gang.

Yang has based his campaign for New York mayor on the pledge to give annual cash payments to thousands of constituents if elected (via Bloomberg). According to NBC New York, Yang is at the top of the polls in the June 22 Democrat primary for mayor, trailed closely by Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams.