Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman acknowledged he was lucky to be alive as he officially returned to the campaign trail on Friday, August 12, more than 90 days after the Democrat suffered a stroke that threatened his life and political prospects in one of the nation’s premier Senate contests.
Fetterman spoke for nearly 11 minutes, haltingly at times, as he addressed several hundred voters packed inside a convention center on the shores of Lake Erie. It was the 52-year-old lieutenant governor’s only scheduled public rally this month as he gradually ramps up his public schedule.
“Tonight for me, it’s about being grateful — just grateful,” said Fetterman, who stood for the duration of his remarks. “Three months ago my life could have ended. It’s the truth.”
He said he may not have survived his stroke if he was in rural Elk County instead of being just 20 minutes away from a major stroke facility. “Gisele saved my life,” he said.
Fetterman’s return marks a significant development in the race to fill retiring Republican senator Pat Toomey’s seat. The Pennsylvania contest offers Democrats perhaps their best pickup opportunity nationally as the two parties battle for Senate control in the November midterm elections. The chamber is now split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the narrowest of majorities with her tie-breaking vote.
Republican nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz, a celebrity heart surgeon endorsed by former President Donald Trump, has railed against Fetterman’s prolonged public absence throughout the summer.
Oz posted a fake “Have You Seen This Person?” poster online last month. He needled Fetterman again Friday in an interview with Newsmax.
Fetterman’s health has been a dominant issue in the Senate contest since the days before the May 17 primary, when his campaign revealed he had a stroke. He required surgery to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator and later disclosed that he also had a serious heart condition.
His doctor offered a blunt letter in early June detailing Fetterman’s decision not to take prescribed medication or see a doctor for several years after a 2017 health scare.
Fetterman is now taking his medication as prescribed, eating a low-sodium diet, and walking 3 to 5 miles most days, campaign spokesman Joe Calvello said: “He’s following the doctor’s orders.”
The high-profile Senate contest has been playing out on television and social media despite Fetterman’s extended absence.
He concluded his remarks the way he opened them — with gratitude. “Three months ago, I may not have made it. But now, I’m standing right here in Erie,” he said as the crowd erupted.
