Bernie Sanders Will Miss LGBTQ Town Hall Following Heart Attack

Looks like Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders won't attend Thursday's LGBTQ Town Hall after all.

Following a heart attack last week, the presidential candidate had to cancel his participation in this week's CNN Town Hall in Los Angeles that will focus on LGBTQ issues.

"Senator Sanders is feeling great after his operation but is trying to prioritize which events are the best fit in his schedule at this time," deputy campaign manager Arianna Jones told USA Today.

The heart attack has already sidelined Sanders for the past few days and raised questions about the 78-year-old's presidential ambitions. A polling index at RealClearPolitics shows Sanders in third place in a crowded Democratic field of presidential candidates, behind former Vice President Joe Biden and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren.

Notably, Sanders skipped a previous LGBTQ-focused presidential forum cosponsored by The Advocate because of a scheduling conflict.

But after receiving criticism for skipping both LGBTQ events, Sanders announced October 1 that he would participate in the CNN Town Hall. But he suffered a heart attack shortly after that announcement, immediately throwing his participation into doubt.

The CNN Town Hall event will feature televised sit-downs with Biden, Warren, New Jersey Sen. Cory Booker, South Bend, Ind.m Mayor Pete Buttigieg, California Sen. Kamala Harris, former Texas Rep. Beto O'Rourke, Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Julian Castro, and businessman Tom Steyer.