Topline
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman—the frontrunner in his state’s Democratic U.S. Senate primary on Tuesday—was hospitalized Friday after a stroke, but intends to return to the campaign trail soon, he said on Twitter Sunday.
John Fetterman at Joseph A. Hardy Connellsville Airport on May 10, 2022.
Key Facts
52-year-old Fetterman checked in to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital after his wife, Giselle Fetterman, recognized stroke symptoms, he said.
Fetterman said his campaign “isn’t slowing down one bit” and that he expects to win Tuesday’s party primary, where he has polled well ahead of competitors like Rep. Conor Lamb.
Doctors completely removed the clot that caused the stroke, and Fetterman is expected to make a full recovery and didn’t incur any cognitive damage, though he must rest before returning to campaigning, he said.
In a video shot at the hospital, the couple remarked jokingly on how Giselle Fetterman “made” her husband seek medical assistance and was proven “right, as always.”
Key Background
Fetterman declared his Senate candidacy in April, banking on name recognition from his tenure as mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, a Pittsburgh suburb that he worked to revitalize after years of industrial decline. A 2011 New York Times Magazine profile dubbed Fetterman the “Mayor Rust,” describing his efforts to create an art scene in the former steel-mill town. Fetterman has distinguished himself from rivals with his informal, hoodie-clad persona, and is polling ahead of Lamb—his closest Democratic Senate primary rival—by 31 points, according to RealClearPolitics’ polling average. Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, best known for his appearances on the Dr. Oz Show and other TV programs, has declared himself the candidate to beat Fetterman and help the GOP retain the seat—but he still needs to win a tight primary Tuesday against candidates including David McCormick and Kathy Barnette. Incumbent Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Penn.) is retiring next year.
Further Reading
“Billionaires And Big-Money Families Are Bankrolling Dr. Oz’ Senate Run” (Forbes)
