Oakland Councilmember Larry Reid underwent a procedure on his heart this week requiring hospitalization for three days. Reid, the longest serving of the Oakland City Council, was released Thursday.

News of Reid’s heart procedure was first reported by the Las Vegas Review-Journal for a story updating negotiations between the Oakland Raiders and Oakland Joint Powers Authority for the NFL team to play the 2019 season at the Coliseum.

Reid, 68, told the paper that he was ready to discharge himself from the hospital if a vote was imminent on the Raiders.

A lifetime smoker, Reid’s health has been a concern over the past few years. In 2017, Reid had a procedure done on his heart, which he acknowledged during a council meeting that year banning the sale of flavored tobacco in Oakland.

“I’m 66-years-old. I stopped smoking on April 14. I have so many freaking stents in my heart, if I don’t die, my next step at Kaiser Hospital is open-heart surgery,” Reid said in July 2017.

Reid was also absent from City Hall for months in the summer of 2013 for an ailment related to his back. Beforehand, he could be often seen sitting uncomfortably at the dais, grimacing from the pain.

The hospitalization this week is likely to fuel already constant rumors at City Hall that Reid may retire before the end of his current term from the East Oakland District 7 seat he has held since 1996. Reid is up for re-election in 2020.

But rumors of Reid’s demise are seemingly raised every four years in Oakland. However, in addition, to his current health issues, Reid has faced several other difficulties over the past year.

Last May, his son, Taj Reid, was found guilty of rigging construction contracts, and Reid’s mother passed away last year.

If Reid were to retire early or choose not to run for re-election next year after 22 years on the council, there is no readily identifiable front runner for the seat. Reid’s daughter, Treva Reid, though, has held a campaign committee account open for years, including one now labeled for 2020.