The governor’s budget director “laid down and passed out” this morning and has been taken to the hospital.

Iowa Department of Management director Dave Roederer is said to be “alert and in good spirits,” according to a spokesman for the governor. TimAlbrecht, Governor Branstad’s communications director, said no other information is available at this time.

Roederer, who is 62 years old, suffered a heart attack in 1994 when he was serving as Branstad’s chief of staff.  Roederer is among a handful of Branstad confidants who came back to state government in 2011 after Branstad returned to the governor’s office for a fifth term. 

Roederer has a long history in Iowa political campaigns. He served as John McCain’s state chairman in 2008 and Roederer was a key leader in George W. Bush’s 2004 Iowa campaign as well.  Roederer served as the executive director of The Iowa Chamber Alliance, representing the largest chambers of commerce in the state, just before his return to state government.

In late 2010 Branstad tapped Roederer to handle the transition back into the governor’s office, then the governor appointed Roederer as his budget director.