Minnesota Gov. Mark Dayton announced Tuesday that he has prostate cancer, revealing the diagnosis hours after collapsing while delivering his State of the State address the night before.
The 69-year-old Democratic governor said he plans to finish the final two years of his term, during which he faces a unified GOP front after Republicans took back control of the Minnesota Senate and strengthened their House majority in November.
Asked whether he was still felt up to the job, Dayton said: “I think I am. If I don’t, I won’t continue.”
He also said he doesn’t believe the recent cancer diagnosis and his fainting were linked. Tests on what caused Dayton to collapse Monday night were scheduled for Tuesday afternoon at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester. He will return to the Mayo Clinic next week to determine treatment options for the prostate cancer.
“I take it very seriously. I have an obligation to all of the people of Minnesota,” he said.
Dayton, who turns 70 on Thursday, has had other health issues since taking office in 2011.