Mass. Guv Candidate Passes Kidney Stone During Debate

Democratic gubernatorial candidates Joe Avellone, left, Don Berwick, center left, Martha Coakley, center, Steve Grossman, center right, and Juliette Kayyem, right, sit down for a candidate meet-and-greet held by the ... Democratic gubernatorial candidates Joe Avellone, left, Don Berwick, center left, Martha Coakley, center, Steve Grossman, center right, and Juliette Kayyem, right, sit down for a candidate meet-and-greet held by the Berkshire Brigades at the ITAM lodge in Pittsfield, Mass., Sunday, Jan. 26, 2014. (AP Photo/The Berkshire Eagle, Stephanie Zollshan) MORE LESS
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There may be a lot of reasons to grimace during a political debate, but Massachusetts state Treasurer Steve Grossman (D) actually spent an entire gubernatorial forum in acute physical pain while passing a kidney stone, the Boston Globe reported Wednesday.

Grossman’s campaign spokeswoman Chandra Allard told the newspaper that her boss has suffered from chronic kidney stones on and off for 30 years. She said Grossman went to a gubernatorial forum on LGBT issues hosted by grassroots advocacy group MassEquality on Tuesday night despite waking up in serious pain earlier that morning.

From the Globe:

Grossman’s pain-level was a 10 on a scale of 1-to-10, Allard said, and yet he fervently answered questions on everything from transgender rights and mandatory sex education to issues facing youth and aging members of the LGBTQ community.

His herculean effort to finish out the 90-minute forum while passing the kidney stone even inspired a parody Twitter account.

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