Dress-wearing male Republican candidate hospitalized on election day


GOP congressional candidate Stephen Meade, 88, was taken to the hospital on election day. (Don Bartletti / Los Angeles Times)

By TONY PERRY contact the reporter

Losing congressional candidate in San Diego may undergo heart surgery after he's hospitalized on election day

Dress-wearing Republican candidate in San Diego rushed to hospital on election day

Stephen Meade, the dress-wearing Republican candidate for Congress in southern San Diego County, was rushed to the hospital on election day and may undergo open-heart surgery.

Meade, 88, was defeated by incumbent Democrat Rep. Juan Vargas in the heavily Democratic 51st Congressional District that includes Imperial County.

Meade, a World War II veteran, prefers to wear dresses and be called Stephanie, which does not bother his wife of four decades, Marilyn.

In a video message from his bedside at the hospital, Meade said his heart problem was annoying.

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"But that's life," he said. "At 88, what the hell could I expect?"

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