Erie, Pa. — Almost exactly three months after suffering a life-threatening stroke, Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman returned to the campaign trail Friday evening with a rally in Erie .
Speaking for just 12 minutes after an introduction from his wife, Gisele, Fetterman, the state’s lieutenant governor, appeared uncharacteristically nervous.
He initially spoke in clipped sentences and repeated some words as he gathered his thoughts, but he seemed to relax after a few minutes in front of 1,355 supportive audience members who cheered him at every chance.
Sporting his trademark hoodie, a black one, and holding the microphone, Fetterman, 52, repeatedly told the crowd how thankful he was to just be on the stage.
“Tonight, really, it’s about being grateful,” he said, adding that Saturday will mark three months since he suffered a stroke on May 13, four days before the primary that he still easily won.
“My life could’ve ended,” he said. “It’s the truth.”
As he has previously done, Fetterman credited his wife with saving his life by recognizing the signs of a stroke and having him rushed to the hospital on May 13, four days before the primary that he still easily won.
Fetterman later had a pacemaker with a defibrillator implanted to help his heart because he also has cardiomyopathy, a disease that weakens heart muscles.
Fetterman’s appearance comes as attacks from Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and Republicans about his absence from the campaign trail have intensified.
For more than two weeks, Oz has been doing a daily tracker reminding everyone how many days it has been since Fetterman did a public campaign appearance.
But those who came out to see Fetterman at the Bayfront Convention Center said they had no concerns about him.
“He looked good,” said Denise Kochanczyk of Erie after Fetterman’s speech ended.
Her friend, Marilyn Kloss, also of Erie, quickly added, “He looked great!”
Nick Wellman of Edinboro, Erie County, said Fetterman “seemed to have made a good recovery” from his health scare.
“He’s still the same fighter for our communities,” Wellman said.
When he announced the rally, Fetterman insisted that Erie County was a bellwether for Pennsylvania in the Senate race. It went for former President Donald Trump in 2016 before flipping to President Joe Biden in 2020.
“My promise to you is that you’re never going to be ashamed of being a part of this campaign,” Fetterman said.
With a banner reading “Every County Every Vote” hanging behind him, Fetterman vowed to visit all 67 counties during the campaign. “We’re going to take this to every single voter,” he said.
Fetterman hit Oz with his usual barbs he shares on social media, taking the TV celebrity surgeon to task for owning multiple mansions and being from New Jersey, not Pennsylvania.
As his wife stood by his side, Fetterman told the crowd he would eliminate the filibuster, and support raising the minimum wage and codifying abortion rights into law.
READ MORE:
Bada-bing! Major PAC launches ad campaign targeting Oz for NJ roots, mansions
Snooki tells candidate Oz in new Fetterman video that ‘you’ll be back in Jersey soon
Ad Choices