Photo: Justin Merriman/Getty
Democrat John Fetterman is made headlines in November 2022 afterwinning the Pennsylvania Senaterace over RepublicanDr. Mehmet Oz, according to several news network projections.
After one of the mosthotly contested campaignsin the country, Fetterman flipped a Senate seat blue — becoming the first Democrat to win the seat since 1962 as he defeated theTrump-endorsed celebrity doctorin the race.
“It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,“Fetterman tweeted upon his victory. “We bet on the people of Pennsylvania — and you didn’t let us down. And I won’t let you down. Thank you.”
In addition to has navigating one of the most expensive Senate races in history, Fetterman underwent a difficult stroke recovery, faced an onslaught of ableist attacks and — in an unusually public manner for a politician —admitted himself to the hospitalfor asevere case of depression, just one month after being sworn in to Congress.
Shortly after returning home from a 44-day stay in Walter Reed Medical Center’s neuropsychiatry unit, Fetterman opened up to PEOPLE about his mental health — not only marking the first public conversation he’s had with the media since being discharged, but the first time he’s outwardly spoken on the topic.
Here’s everything to know about Fetterman, between his viral campaigning moments and his family background.
He was the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Fetterman served as the mayor of Braddock from 2006 to 2019 before being elected the 34th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in 2018. During his tenure, he amassed national attention for his efforts to legalize cannabis statewide in addition to countering President Donald Trump’s claims of election fraud in Pennsylvania.
He precedes Austin Davis, the 35th lieutenant governor who assumed office in January 2023.
His Pennsylvania Senate win was historic
John Fetterman, Mehmet Oz.Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bonnie Biess/Getty
In 2021, Fetterman announced his candidacy in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania — and after one of the most hotly contested campaigns in the country,he defeated Republican Dr. Oz in the race. Flipping a Senate seat blue, Fetterman became the first Democrat to win this seat since 1962.
Despite Oz’s sudden momentum in the weeks leading up to the election (with some polls calling him the frontrunner), Fetterman led early. He often took to social media to call out the former television personality for gaffes, including hiswidely shared shopping trip for “crudités.”
Issues like raising the minimum wage, criminal justice reform, abortion access, voting rights, and protections for LGBTQ+ people are all issues Fettermanhas reportedly campaigned on, often in rural counties filled with working-class voters who supported Trump.
He suffered a stroke days before the primary election
Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Just days before the primary election in May 2022, Fetterman suffered a stroke and later underwent a procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator. Ultimately,Fetterman won the primary—from a hospitalbed— handily. His doctor later revealedhe had atrial fibrillation, which caused the stroke, and cardiomyopathy, which is why he got the implant.
In August, hehopped back on the campaign trail, saying in an emotional speech that he felt “better than I have in years.”
His tattoos have special meanings
Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty
The Democrat has nine tattoos on his right forearm and wrote that they each represent “a day on which someone died violently while I was mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania.” He explained that the ink reading “01.16.06.” is the date whenChristopher Williams was shot dead while delivering pizzas.
He earned his master’s from Harvard University
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.Joe Lamberti/AP Photo
Prior to his political endeavors, Fetterman pursued a profession in the insurance industry, having studied finance at Albright College before earning an MBA from the University of Connecticut.
After graduating, he joined AmeriCorps and earned aMaster of Public Policy degree from the Harvard Kennedy School(the school of public policy and government of Harvard University) in 1999. He moved to Braddock in 2004 and was elected mayor the following year.
He’s married and is a father to three kids
Gisele and John Fetterman (left and center) with their children.Gisele Fetterman
The politician married Gisele Fetterman in 2008 and they share three kids together: Karl, Gracie and August. The two first connected after Gisele wrote him a letter inquiring about Braddock and the efforts to revitalize the community.
Originally from Brazil, the First Lady of Pennsylvania received her green card in 2004, four years before her marriage, and became a U.S. citizen in 2009. She hasdevoted her life to helping others, with a focus on nutrition, food equity and meeting Pennsylvanians' basic needs.
The parents havetried to preserve their kids' childhoodsto an extent, though. “We do talk about the race around the house a bit and the kids will come to rallies when they can, but they also have their own lives,” Gisele told PEOPLE. “They go to school every day, they go over to their friends' houses, they have homework to do. Their calendars are very full already.”
He’s an advocate for prioritizing mental health
Fetterman battled depressionin the months following the nationally televised debate with Oz where he saw a “seismic” shift in his mental health. On Feb. 16, 2023, he stunned the nation when a statement from his spokesperson announced that he had voluntarily chosen inpatient treatment for clinical depression to combat it.
“When I first checked in, I never thought I would be where I’m at here,” he told PEOPLE after is 44-day stay. “To be joyous and to be feeling free of depression … and to be free of pain, man, it’s…” Fetterman struggles to find the words to complete his thought, so Gisele jumped in: “It’s a first.”
Now, the once-skeptical senator is on a mission to get others to address their feelings, even if they haven’t reached a breaking point yet. “I don’t care if you’re a liberal or conservative, Republican or Democrat, we all can be depressed — and we all can get made healthier,” he said.
“Go to the doctor or whoever you’re able to. Address your depression. I was skeptical it would make anything better, but it did. It works. And I’m so grateful,” Fetterman concluded.
source: people.com
