Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna recovers from mini-stroke on Easter
Sacramento County Supervisor Phil Serna said he suffered a mini-stroke at his home on Easter Sunday.
Serna, who represents the county’s northwest tier and central core including most of the city of Sacramento, is finishing his fourth term on the Board of Supervisors, with Flojaune Cofer and Sacramento City Councilmember Eric Guerra emerging as leading candidates to replace him.
Serna said in a social media post over the weekend that he experienced a transient ischemic attack. He did not attend last Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.
TIA is a short-term blockage of blood flow to the brain that typically does not cause permanent damage, according to the Mayo Clinic. A TIA, often called a “ministroke,” usually lasts only a few minutes but can signal a future stroke. About one in three people who experience a TIA will later have a stroke, with nearly half occurring within a year, the Mayo Clinic said.
The episode came with about eight months remaining in his tenure. Serna previously endorsed Guerra to replace him. Cofer, who narrowly lost the Sacramento mayor’s race in 2024, announced her candidacy for the supervisor position in January.
Cofer and Guerra will face off with other candidates in the June 2 primary election.
Serna wrote that he lost consciousness and collapsed in his kitchen April 5. He initially thought he was dizzy, but later noted confusion, blurred vision and weakness on his left side, especially his arm. When he tried to call for help, he had trouble speaking.
Those symptoms mirror common early signs of a stroke or TIA, which can include sudden weakness on one side of the body, slurred speech, vision problems and loss of balance, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Health officials often use the mnemonic “BE FAST”: Balance loss, eye (vision) changes, face drooping, arm weakness and speech difficulty. The “T” stands for “time to call 911,” which Serna did.
Emergency responders took Serna to Mercy General Hospital in East Sacramento where he was admitted, he said. He felt back to normal by the next morning and went home with new prescriptions aimed at preventing another episode.
Serna urged others to learn the signs of a stroke. The supervisor and his chief of staff did not immediately respond to requests for comment Monday.
Serna, first elected in 2010, has represented the county’s 1st District for more than a decade and announced in October that he would not run for the fifth term. He has served as board chair and played a visible role in shaping county policy on public health, regional transit and equity initiatives.
“I’ve served for what will have been four terms and I think that’s plenty for me,” he told KVIE’s Abridged in an interview announcing his decision. “And I’m proud of the things I’ve been able to accomplish.”
He is the son of the late Joe Serna Jr., Sacramento’s first Latino mayor, and has long framed his public service as rooted in that legacy. Serna has said civic engagement was part of daily life growing up and has emphasized expanding community voice in local government.
During his tenure, Serna highlighted work on efforts such as the Black Child Legacy Campaign, early childhood programs through First 5 Sacramento and regional transit governance. He has also pointed to initiatives focused on public safety, health access and reducing disparities.
His time in office has included criticism as well, including scrutiny over a 2023 vote approving a pay raise for supervisors and disputes tied to development and his social media presence.
