Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman Suffers Stroke; How Will It Affect His Senate Campaign?

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, a Democratic candidate for the US Senate, was rushed to a medical facility due to a stroke.

Fetterman, 52, disclosed in a statement posted on Twitter that he felt sick on Friday, prompting him to go to Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital to have his condition checked out upon the advice of his wife, Gisele.

"On Friday it finally caught up with me. I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long. Fortunately, Gisele spotted the symptoms and got me to the hospital within minutes," he tweeted.

The US Senate candidate said that the "amazing" doctors successfully removed the clot, reversed the stroke, and got his heart "under control." He added that he is on his way to "a full recovery," as reported by The Independent.

"So I have a lot to be thankful for," Fetterman added.

On Friday, I wasn’t feeling well, so I went to the hospital to get checked out.

I didn’t want to go – I didn’t think I had to – but @giselefetterman insisted, and as usual, she was right.

The good news is I’m feeling much better + I’m well on my way to a full recovery. pic.twitter.com/WQ5X6QgQen
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) May 15, 2022

How WIll Fetterman's Health Condition Impact His Campaign?

According to surveys, he appears to be on his way to winning his party's nomination on Tuesday. Despite his health, Fetterman has shown no indications of slowing down in his campaign.

"There's so much at stake in this race, and I'm going to be ready for the hard fight ahead. But our campaign isn't slowing down one bit, and we are still on track to win this primary on Tuesday and flip this Senate seat in November."

"Thanks for all the support, and please get out there and vote," said Fetterman.

According to The New York Times, the campaign postponed events across the state on Friday evening, Saturday morning, and again on Sunday, but Fetterman's camp provided little information regarding Fetterman's health during the weekend.

Given Fetterman's enormous advantage over two opponents in the Pennsylvania primary, Conor Lamb and Malcolm Kenyatta, the news about his health is unlikely to shake up the race.

Nevertheless, per Politico, Lamb and Kenyatta wished for Fetterman's recovery on Twitter.

"I just found out on live TV that Lieutenant Governor Fetterman suffered a stroke."Hayley (Lamb's wife) and I are keeping John and his family in our prayers and wishing him a full and speedy recovery," Lamb tweeted.

Kenyatta also posted a message for his sick rival: "My prayers are with him and his family as he recovers from this stroke. I look forward to seeing him back on the campaign trail soon."

Crucial Senate Seat for Democrats

After a super PAC supporting the two-term congressman went negative against the frontrunner, Lamb's campaign fell further behind Fetterman.

Although the progressive state legislator has received no national endorsements from renowned left-wing leaders, Kenyatta's candidacy has stayed in last place.

In November, the victor of Tuesday's primary will face a Republican contender. Dr. Mehmet Oz, David McCormick, and Kathy Barnette were all endorsed by Donald Trump.

The Senate seat is critical for Democrats because it represents a chance to secure a seat previously held by a Republican and help the party avoid a GOP majority of the upper house. It is currently held by retiring Senator Pat Toomey.

In most generic ballot polling for November, the Republican Party continues to lead, indicating that Democrats face a challenging task in defending House and Senate majorities.