Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern Injured in South Dakota Snowstorm Car Crash

Arizona Sen. Anthony Kern Injured in South Dakota Snowstorm Car Crash

State Senator Hospitalized with Broken Bones, Expected to Recover After Accident on Icy Roads

PHOENIX — Arizona State Senator Anthony Kern was hospitalized with broken bones and other injuries following a car crash in South Dakota during a snowstorm. Kern, a Republican representing Arizona’s 27th legislative district, was visiting family at the time of the accident, according to Arizona Senate Republicans.

Kern was a passenger in the vehicle when the driver, whose identity has not been disclosed, lost control after hitting an icy patch. The car was the only vehicle involved in the crash.

Both Kern and the driver were taken to the hospital by paramedics. He is expected to remain in the hospital for several days to receive treatment. “He’s pretty banged up but in stable condition,” said Kim Quintero, communications director for the Arizona Senate Republicans.

Kern will return to Arizona once discharged from the hospital.

Who is Anthony Kern?

Kern has served as the senator for Arizona’s District 27 since 2023. Before that, he represented District 20 in the State House of Representatives from 2015 to 2021.

A controversial political figure, Kern was one of 11 Republicans who signed false Electoral College certificates declaring Donald Trump as the winner of the 2020 presidential election.

In 2024, Kern did not seek re-election to the state senate and instead ran for the U.S. congressional seat in Arizona’s 8th district, vacated by Debbie Lesko. He finished fifth in the Republican primary, losing to Abraham Hamadeh.

Kern’s current term in the Arizona Senate will end in January.

The crash highlights the dangers of winter driving conditions, even for experienced travelers, as snowstorms continue to create hazardous conditions in parts of the U.S. Midwest.