Queens City Council candidate Lew Simon has health scare

Lew Simon

By Maggie Hayes
Fri 10/11/2013

A health scare has temporarily taken one candidate off the campaign trail, but he’ll be back running as soon as possible.

Lew Simon, Democratic candidate for City Council District 32, felt chest pain and went to the hospital Wednesday morning. Doctors checked out the hopeful pol and determined he had partial blockage to his heart.

“It caught him a little bit by surprise,” said Doug Forand, spokesperson for Simon.

Doctors first said he would need a bypass, which would have been a “bigger crimp” in his campaign, Forand said. After subsequent tests, it was determined Simon would instead need a stent, a less-invasive procedure.

Simon will undergo surgery today or Monday, Forand said. Assuming no complications, he will be out of the hospital in a day or so and will “be back up on his feet immediately.”

“What exactly he’ll do, we still have to defer to the doctors,” Forand said.

The spokesperson added Simon, a high-energy candidate, should feel rejuvenated after the procedure.

“We’re going to have a Lew Simon with a lot more energy out there,” he said.

His camp is “fully confident” he will be back at some point next week and fully back, up and running by the week after.