Democrat John Fetterman is running for a seat in the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania against Dr. Mehmet Oz. The winner of the race could determine which party controls the Senate next term. If Fetterman wins, Democrats have a 3 in 4 chance of controlling the Senate, CNN reports.
Who is John Fetterman?
Fetterman is a second-time candidate for the U.S. Senate. Fetterman ran for Senate in 2016, but lost during the Democratic primaries.
The Pennsylvania native was born to teenage parents and raised in York, according to his campaign website. He attended Albright College, where he played offensive tackle on the football team. Fetterman went on to receive a master’s degree in public policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.
Fetterman currently serves as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor and has held the position since 2018. For 13 years, he served as mayor of Braddock in Pennsylvania.
As mayor, Fetterman “worked to rebuild his community, creating jobs, getting youth engaged, and bringing creative urban policy solutions to Braddock,” according to his website.
The Senate hopeful has been married to his wife, Gisele, since 2008. They share three children.
Fetterman has been endorsed by President Joe Biden, The Philadelphia Tribune, Sen. Bob Casey, United Rural Democrats, U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean and more, according to City & State Pennsylvania.
What are Fetterman’s policies?
In short, Fetterman is pro-marijuana legalization, supports abortion rights, hopes to pass the Equality Act and wants to fight inflation. Here is a breakdown of Fetterman’s policies.
LGBTQ rights: Fetterman is a long-standing advocate for LGBTQ rights. As lieutenant governor in Pennsylvania, he hung pride flags from his office balcony, according to NBC News.
- “Back in 2013, when same-sex marriages were still banned in Pennsylvania, I was the first and only elected official in western Pennsylvania to solemnize same-sex weddings,” Fetterman wrote on his website.
- Fetterman backs the Equality Act, which ensures basic freedoms such as housing and medical care to everyone, no matter their sexual orientation.
Marijuana: As lieutenant governor, Fetterman held a statewide listening tour for legalizing recreational marijuana, according to Politico.
- Fetterman supports Oregon’s measure 110, which decriminalized all drugs such as heroine, cocaine and meth, per NBC News.
Economy: If elected, Fetterman said that he will fight growing inflation rates. He wants to cut taxes for “working people” and strengthen U.S. supply chains.
- “We need to make sure we manufacture more things in Pennsylvania and in America,” Fetterman said in an interview with the Philadelphia Inquirer.
- To decrease gas prices, Fetterman wants to suspend the federal gas tax and use American oil. Fetterman has gone back and forth on fracking, but most recently claimed to back it, according to The New Yorker.
Abortion: “Roe v. Wade for me should be the law,” Fetterman said, per Axios. He said that he believes that the choice for an abortion should be between women and their doctors.
John Fetterman’s stroke
Fetterman suffered a stroke in May. After the stroke, he spent nine days in the hospital and took a three-month break from the campaign trail to recover.
Since his stroke, Fetterman struggles with auditory processing, according to The New Yorker. The candidate now relies on closed captioning for campaign events and interviews. His fluency has taken a hit and he sometimes pronounces words incorrectly.
“I may not get every word the right way, but I will always do the right thing in Washington, D.C.,” Fetterman said, according to CNN.
Who is John Fetterman running against?
Fetterman’s opponent is Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, a TV personality and retired cardiothoracic surgeon.
Oz is trailing slightly behind Fetterman in the polls, according to The New York Times.