Republican Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds revealed on Thursday that her husband Kevin has been diagnosed with lung cancer.
“We’re grateful to the incredible medical team caring for Kevin,” the governor said in a news release.
“Our doctor has assured us that significant advancements in lung cancer treatment have been very effective and we have every reason to be optimistic.
“We are confident in our team as we begin treatment, and we will beat this together.”
“Kevin has been my anchor throughout our 41 years of marriage, and I will be the same for him as he begins treatment,” Reynolds continued.
“We are blessed to be surrounded by a loving family and a community of prayer warriors. We know God is with us on this journey.”
Reynolds and her husband have been married since 1982.
In a Facebook post last month in honor of Kevin Reynolds’ birthday, the governor said, “There’s nobody I’d rather have by my side!”
According to a biography of Kevin Reynolds on the governor’s website, he grew up on an Iowa farm and met his future wife in high school.
He retired from the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 2017 following a 36-year career with the agency.
“He made history as Iowa’s first-ever First Gentleman when his wife, Kim Reynolds, became Governor of Iowa,” the biography states.
The couple shares three daughters and 11 grandchildren.
Kim Reynolds’ political career began in 1994 when she was elected a county treasurer. She later served in the state Senate and as lieutenant governor.
Reynolds was elevated to her current role in 2017 when then-Gov. Terry Branstad stepped down to become the Trump administration’s ambassador to China.
Reynolds was elected to her first full term as governor in 2018 in a race against Democrat Fred Hubbell.
Last November, she was elected to a second term when she soundly defeated Democratic candidate Deidre DeJear by a margin of almost 19 points.
Former President Donald Trump and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis are both vying for Reynolds’ endorsement in the 2024 Republican presidential primary race.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
