State Rep. Chip Huggins could be released from the hospital as early as today after undergoing heart surgery.

Huggins, a Republican who has represented parts of Lexington, Irmo and the south shore of Lake Murray since 1999, was jogging on Salem Church Road when he collapsed Dec. 3. After a weeklong hospital stay, he underwent quadruple bypass surgery Monday.

His wife, Ginger Huggins, said her husband was doing well, even walking a mile inside Providence Hospital on Wednesday.

“He’s doing great. He’s ready to come home.”

Huggins was jogging near his Irmo home and felt he was having heart trouble, said state Rep. Nikki Haley, who spoke with him in the hospital. When he collapsed, a motorist stopped to call an ambulance.

The passerby happened to work as a cardiac nurse at Palmetto Richland hospital.

“It was a blessing,” Huggins’ wife said.

Huggins, 45, has a family history of heart trouble, including spates of rapid, uncontrolled beating in part of his heart. He has had two stents inserted to open blood vessels.

Because he did not suffer a heart attack, his wife said, there was no damage to the heart.

Though he will not be able to drive, run or lift heavy objects for some time, Ginger Huggins said her husband should be out and about soon and could return to the Legislature by next month.

Reach O’Connor at (803) 771-8358.