Following a landslide victory in Pennsylvania’s Democratic Senate primary last month, John Fetterman has not yet disclosed when he will return to the campaign trail after suffering a stroke shortly before the election, and questions remain about his health.
MCCORMICK CONCEDES PA SENATE PRIMARY TO OZ
Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, disclosed shortly before the May 17 primary that he suffered a stroke, saying he was expected to make a full recovery. On the day of the primary, his campaign disclosed that he underwent a procedure to install a pacemaker with a defibrillator, which was called successful.
Still, questions were raised by that course of treatment, which some reports said was atypical for atrial fibrillation, also known as A-fib, cited as a factor in Fetterman’s stroke. His campaign did not clarify until last Friday, when it released a letter from Fetterman’s cardiologist, accompanied by a written statement from the candidate.
“The stroke I suffered on May 13 didn’t come out of nowhere,” Fetterman wrote in part. “Like so many others, and so many men in particular, I avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn’t feel well. As a result, I almost died. I want to encourage others to not make the same mistake.”
Fetterman also said he was not yet ready for the campaign trail, where he will face television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz as the Republican nominee.
“I need a little more time,” Fetterman wrote. “I’m not quite back to 100% yet, but I’m getting closer every day.”
Pennsylvania Democrats do not anticipate that they will need to replace their nominee, but according to multiple reports, some have reviewed the mechanism to do so should the need arise.
State law would permit a party nominee to withdraw from a general election before Aug. 15 in order to be replaced on the ballot. According to the Washington Post, the state’s Democratic Party bylaws would permit the party to select an alternative nominee within 30 days of such a withdrawal.
But in his written statement, Fetterman was clear that he plans to continue, although he did not clarify when.
“This race is so important for Pennsylvania and for the country. I’m going to be ready for it, and I can’t wait to get back on the trail.”
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A lengthy recount process bought Fetterman some time to recover before he had a Republican opponent, but now that Oz has secured the nomination, state Democrats will be eager to see him return to the campaign trail. Pennsylvania’s Senate race has been called a toss-up by election analysts, and the seat is seen as possibly the best pickup opportunity for Democrats as the party seeks to maintain or grow its current Senate majority.
