MONTGOMERY, Ala. – Gov. Kay Ivey is in a Montgomery hospital after undergoing what her office called a “minor procedure” to remove fluid in her lung.
Ivey Communications Director Gina Maiola said a surgeon evaluated the governor after she experienced discomfort on her left side and shortness of breath.
“While it was not emergent, Gov. Ivey wanted to get the procedure done as soon as possible so she can quickly get back to 100% to wrap up the 2026 Regular Session,” Maiola wrote in an email to the press. “This afternoon, the governor successfully underwent a minor procedure at Baptist South to remove that fluid. Out of an abundance of caution, she will be monitored at Baptist South in the coming days.
“We are in touch with Gov. Ivey, and she says she is determined to make a very speedy and full recovery.”
This is not Ivey’s first health episode while in office. In 2019, the governor was treated for lung cancer after an “isolated malignancy” was found on her lung. During a campaign rally in November 2024, Ivey was treated for dehydration after she became unsteady.
The 81-year-old Republican is completing her second full term in the governor’s office after first assuming office after former Gov. Robert Bentley’s resignation in 2017. She is Alabama’s longest continuous-serving governor.