Will Jawando hospitalized after having a heart attack during pickup basketball game

Will Jawando, a Montgomery County Council member who is the Democratic nominee for county executive in the November general election, has been hospitalized since Saturday after having a heart attack during a pickup basketball game that morning, his staff announced Monday.

An ambulance transported Jawando, 43, from his pickup game in Washington, D.C., to The George Washington University Hospital, where doctors inserted a stent, according to his staff.

“The Councilmember is resting comfortably and is expected to be discharged later this week to recover at home with his wife, Michele, and their children,” Dave Kunes, Jawando’s chief of staff and campaign chair, said in a statement.

Kunes said Jawando’s doctor has advised him to adjust his office activities in the coming weeks.

It’s not yet clear whether Jawando will be able to attend his next campaign event, which is scheduled for Thursday at Lone Oak Farm Brewing Co. in Olney. Comptroller Brooke Lierman and Jawando’s wife, Michele, are scheduled to speak at the event.

Kunes said Jawando may join the event via Zoom.

Jawando also expects to participate in the County Council’s next meeting on Sept. 15, though he may do so virtually, Kunes said.

Lierman extended well wishes to Jawando in a social media post, writing that he is “a great friend, husband, father and public servant and I’m looking forward to working with him in his new role as Montgomery County Exec.”

Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich, who endorsed Jawando to succeed him in a competitive Democratic primary, said that he was “very concerned” about the news of Jawando’s heart attack.

“I’m relieved that he received immediate care and is doing well,” he said in a statement. “I’m wishing Will a full and speedy recovery and hope he takes the time he needs to rest and get healthy. My thoughts are with Michele, their children, and the entire Jawando family.”

Jawando plans to address the media about his health after he is discharged from the hospital, which Kunes expects to be Wednesday or Thursday.

“Councilmember Jawando and his family are grateful to God for the friends who acted quickly and to the exceptional doctors, nurses, and staff at The George Washington University Hospital,” Kunes said in his statement. “They are deeply thankful for the outpouring of support and prayers from neighbors, colleagues, and supporters from across the county and state.”

This is a developing story.