John Fetterman facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Fetterman
Official portrait, 2023
United States Senator from Pennsylvania
Incumbent
Assumed office January 3, 2023 Serving with Bob Casey Jr.
Preceded by	Pat Toomey
34th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
In office January 15, 2019 – January 3, 2023
Governor	Tom Wolf
Preceded by	Mike Stack
Succeeded by	Kim Ward (acting)
Mayor of Braddock
In office January 2, 2006 – January 8, 2019
Preceded by	Pauline Abdullah
Succeeded by	Chardaé Jones
Personal details
Born	John Karl Fetterman (1969-08-15) August 15, 1969 (age 55) West Reading, Pennsylvania, U.S.
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Gisele Barreto Almeida ​ (m. 2008)​
Children	3
Education	Albright College (BA) University of Connecticut (MBA) Harvard University (MPP)

John Karl Fetterman (/ˈfɛtərmən/ fet-ƏR-mən; born August 15, 1969) is an American politician serving as the junior United States senator from Pennsylvania since 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, from 2006 to 2019 and as the 34th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania from 2019 to 2023.

Fetterman studied finance at Albright College and earned a master's degree from the University of Connecticut before beginning a professional career in the insurance industry. He went on to join AmeriCorps and earned a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University. Fetterman's service with AmeriCorps led him to Braddock, where he moved in 2004 and was elected mayor the following year. As mayor, Fetterman sought to revitalize the former steel town through art and youth programs.

Fetterman ran for the U.S. Senate in 2016, finishing third in the Democratic primary. He ran for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania in 2018, defeating a field of candidates that included incumbent Mike Stack in the Democratic primary and winning the election with incumbent governor Tom Wolf. .....

In 2021, Fetterman announced his candidacy in the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania. He won the Democratic nomination and defeated Republican nominee Mehmet Oz in the general election with 51% of the vote. ..... Fetterman was formerly referred to and called himself a progressive, but has since rejected the label.

He will become Pennsylvania's senior senator in January 2025 following Bob Casey's defeat against Republican nominee Dave McCormick.

Early life and education

Fetterman was born in 1969 at Reading Hospital in West Reading, Pennsylvania, to Karl and Susan Fetterman. His parents were married and both 19 years old at the time of his birth. They eventually moved to York, Pennsylvania, where Fetterman grew up and his father became a partner at an insurance firm. Fetterman grew up in an affluent suburb of York, and his parents were conservative Republicans.

Fetterman had a self-described privileged upbringing and has said he "sleepwalked" through his young adulthood, playing four years of football in college and intending to eventually take over as owner of his father's business. In 1991, Fetterman graduated from Albright College, also his father's alma mater, with a bachelor's degree in finance, after which he received a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Connecticut in 1993. For two years, Fetterman worked in Pittsburgh as a risk-management underwriter for Chubb.

While Fetterman was studying at UConn, his best friend died in a car accident, which had a formative effect on Fetterman's life and career. After his friend's death, Fetterman joined Big Brothers Big Sisters of America, pairing with an eight-year-old boy in New Haven, Connecticut, whose father had died from AIDS and whose mother was slowly dying from the disease. During his time as a Big Brother, Fetterman says he became "preoccupied with the concept of the random lottery of birth", and promised the boy's mother he would continue to look out for her son after she was gone. In 1995, he joined the recently founded AmeriCorps, and was sent to teach Pittsburgh students pursuing their GEDs. He later attended Harvard Kennedy School at Harvard University, graduating in 1999 with a Master of Public Policy degree.

Mayor of Braddock (2006–2019)

Fetterman, who began his career working at an insurance firm, came to Braddock in 2001 to start an Out-of-School-Youth Program, helping local youth to earn their GED. He moved to Braddock in 2004.

Braddock, a former industrial town, known as the site of Andrew Carnegie's first steel mill, was hit hard by the decline of the U.S. steel industry. The town had lost 90% of its population since its peak in the 1920s, and was declared a financially distressed municipality in 1988; it has no supermarkets, gas stations or ATMs. Fetterman was attracted to Braddock by what he called its "malignant beauty."

Fetterman served as the part-time mayor of Braddock, and the full-time director of the city's youth program. He also founded a nonprofit organization, Braddock Redux, which he used to acquire and save properties in Braddock.

Fetterman's father helped subsidize Fetterman financially because the position of mayor paid only $150 per month. He received payments of $54,000 from his father in 2015. Fetterman has several tattoos related to the Braddock community. On his left arm are the numbers 15104—Braddock's ZIP Code—and on the right, the dates of nine murders that occurred in the town while he was mayor.

Elections

Fetterman ran for mayor against the incumbent, Pauline Abdullah, in 2005. With backing from the town's young residents, he won the Democratic primary by a single vote. Fetterman won the general election; he did not face a Republican opponent.

In the 2009 Democratic primary for mayor of Braddock, Fetterman faced Jayme Cox. During the 2009 campaign, Cox attacked Fetterman for failing to build a consensus with the town council. Additionally, Cox criticized Fetterman for abuse of power after Fetterman released non-public records that showed Cox was arrested in 2004. Braddock Solicitor Lawrence Shields agreed that Fetterman's conduct constituted "an abuse of [Fetterman's] mayoral authority" and violated the Pennsylvania Criminal History Record Information Act. Fetterman defeated Cox in the primary by a vote of 294 to 103. Fetterman handily won the Democratic primaries in 2013 and 2017, and was unopposed in the general election.

Tenure

First term

Following his election, one of Fetterman's first acts was to set up a website for Braddock, which highlighted the town's mostly neglected and destroyed buildings. As mayor, Fetterman initiated youth and art programs and worked to develop the town's abandoned buildings and improve the poor economy. With family money, he purchased the town's First Presbyterian Church for $50,000 and lived in the basement for several months. The church was later turned into the town's community center. Fetterman later purchased an adjacent warehouse for $2,000, placed two shipping containers on the roof for extra living space, and moved in. Other programs included converting vacant lots into parks and gardens, building the town's first public basketball court, and establishing a two-acre organic urban farm, worked by teenagers of the Braddock Youth Project. To help fund programs, Fetterman established relationships with local nonprofit organizations, Allegheny County's economic development program, and then-county executive Dan Onorato. For example, Fetterman helped secure a $400,000 grant from the Heinz Foundation toward the building of a green roof, which provided 100 summer construction jobs for local youth.

Fetterman pitched Braddock to people around the country as a place to move due to the town's low real estate prices. The town's renaissance has attracted people from cities such as Chicago and Portland, Oregon, drawn by the potential for development and growth. Inspired by Fetterman's call, a group of Brooklyn residents moved to Braddock and transformed an abandoned church into an art center. But Braddock's redevelopment raised concerns about gentrification. Despite Fetterman's attempts to attract new residents to Braddock, the population has continued to hover around 2,000, and despite property being cheap, many of the homes are condemned or are uninhabitable.

Typically, the mayor of Braddock holds administrative power over the Braddock Police Department. But during Fetterman's first term, he handed over those powers to the Braddock Police Chief, Frank DeBartolo, believing he could handle administrative duties more efficiently. Fetterman aimed to improve the relationship between Braddock's residents and the police by serving as a mediator during disputes. During his tenure as mayor, Braddock's homicide rate fell substantially, and for a five-year period, there were no gun-related murders in Braddock.

In 2006, Fetterman opposed the expansion of Mon-Fayette Expressway, a partially completed four-lane highway that connects Western Pennsylvania and West Virginia. He argued that the planned expansion of the expressway would cut straight through Braddock and destroy the town.

While mayor, Fetterman had a contentious relationship with the town council. Some councilpersons viewed him with suspicion—seeing a white man serving as mayor of a majority-black town who pitched himself as the town's savior. Fetterman's tense relations with the town council have also been attributed to the fact that he did not attend many council meetings. In 2009, members of the town council attempted to have Fetterman removed from a town council meeting and arrested after he criticized a political opponent while delivering his mayoral report. The same year, council president Jesse Brown ordered Braddock's code enforcement officer to cite Fetterman for an occupancy permit violation for a building owned by Fetterman's nonprofit. A judge later dismissed the complaint. To avoid the town council's gridlock, Fetterman used his nonprofit to accomplish many of his ideas for Braddock, but that also resulted in less citizen input into the projects.

Second term

In November 2010, Fetterman was arrested and immediately released after refusing to leave the property of the U.S. Steel Tower in Pittsburgh. He was protesting the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center controversial closure of Braddock Hospital, but was met with objections from some in the community for not being more vocal in his opposition earlier. The Braddock Hospital, which employed 600 people, was Braddock's largest employer and its closure left the town without any healthcare provider, although an urgent-care unit eventually opened in Braddock.

Also in November 2010, Fetterman took a leading role in trying to close down Club 804, a nightclub he described as a public nuisance to Braddock, after the club was the site of a shooting. During his feud with Club 804, Fetterman changed the lettering on the club's signage from "Closed for renovations—will reopen soon" to "We will not be reopening soon." The club's owner criticized Fetterman, saying, "he had no right to touch our property". .....

Fetterman cast only one vote during his tenure as mayor. In 2012, he voted to help the borough council choose a president.

Starting in 2013, Fetterman began defying a 1996 Pennsylvania law that banned same-sex marriage and began marrying LGBT couples inside of his home.

In 2013, Fetterman worked with celebrity chef Kevin Sousa to establish a restaurant in Braddock, something the town had lacked. He bought a 3,000-square-foot building that was home to a former car dealership with the intention that it would be the site of the new restaurant, named "Superior Motors". Funds to establish the restaurant were collected via Kickstarter. Fetterman said that Superior Motors would provide jobs for Braddock residents, serve as an economic accelerant for the community, and "help people reimagine a space, a street, and a neighborhood". The restaurant opened in 2017, but closed in 2021 amid the COVID-19 pandemic. Mayor Chardaé Jones, Fetterman's successor, criticized the restaurant for closing after only a few years and having had received a Paycheck Protection Program loan for $190,000 in 2020.

Shotgun incident

Fetterman was criticized for an incident in North Braddock in January 2013 when he heard a sound he thought was gunfire, and followed an unarmed jogger, whom he detained with a shotgun. The jogger, Chris Miyares, a black American, said that what Fetterman thought were gunshots were actually kids shooting bottle rockets. Fetterman said no debris had been found. Miyares claimed that Fetterman pointed the shotgun at his chest while he loaded the gun and then aimed the gun at his face. Fetterman denies that he pointed the gun at Miyares and says he only pointed the gun in a way to show that he was armed, and that he "didn't even have a round chambered or the safety off." He said he believed he "did the right thing" and has not apologized. No charges were brought against either in connection with the incident, and Miyares never filed a formal complaint.

The incident gained new attention during Fetterman's Senate bid, with critics alleging a racial element to the incident. Fetterman's campaign denied allegations of racism, claiming that Miyares was wearing a black sweatsuit and mask, so Fetterman couldn't have identified his race or gender. Fetterman also added that Miyares was running in the direction of a school, and that he made the decision to approach him with the firearm due to the event's proximity in time to the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting.

In 2021, Miyares wrote that Fetterman had "lied about everything" that happened during the incident, but had "done far more good than that one bad act" and, "should not be defined by it", and hoped he would win the Senate race. Fetterman's political opponents have questioned Miyares' statement forgiving Fetterman.

Media coverage and criticism

Fetterman's efforts to create youth-oriented programs, revitalize his town, and attract artists and other "creatives" to his community were featured in The New York Times. A 2009 article in The Guardian called him "America's coolest mayor".

Fetterman was the guest on the Colbert Report on February 25, 2009, discussing the economic difficulties his town faced due to a decreasing population, plummeting real estate values, and bankruptcy. He also questioned why funds from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 could not be used to support projects such as those in Braddock. He appeared again on August 16, 2010, discussing what he had been doing and the town's partnership with Levi Strauss.

In 2010, Levi Strauss & Company donated money towards Braddock's revitalization and featured the town in an advertising campaign and documentary produced by the Sundance Channel.

On May 7, 2012, Fetterman was featured on A Day in the Life where he discusses his responsibilities and desires for Braddock, as well as his personal history and views.

Fetterman was a guest on The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore on January 14, 2016, to discuss his support for Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary and again on July 19, 2016, discussing the state of the 2016 election and Donald Trump.

During Fetterman's time as mayor in 2009, some Braddock residents, including the members of the town council, criticized Fetterman for his media appearances which emphasize the town's negative aspects. Jesse Brown, Braddock's former town council president, said Fetterman "needs to tone down his rhetoric about the community and the bad shape the community is in and the devastation of the housing... If he feels that the community is bankrupt, then he needs to go somewhere where he'd like it." Tony Buba, a Braddock-based filmmaker, said "[Fetterman is] this big presence, and everyone thinks he’s John Wayne, [but it is] not that simple." Buba pointed out that under Fetterman, Braddock's population has stagnated and while the average income has grown, it is still only $25,000 per household.

Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania (2019–2023)

Elections

2018

On November 14, 2017, Fetterman announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, challenging, among others, incumbent lieutenant governor Mike Stack. Stack was seen as a vulnerable incumbent after the Pennsylvania inspector general launched an investigation into Stack regarding allegations that he mistreated his staff and Pennsylvania state troopers. Fetterman was endorsed by Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, Pittsburgh mayor Bill Peduto and former Pennsylvania governor and Philadelphia mayor Ed Rendell.

On May 15, Fetterman won the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor with 38% of the vote. Fetterman was a part of the Democratic ticket along with incumbent governor Tom Wolf. On November 6, 2018, Wolf and Fetterman defeated the Republican ticket of Scott Wagner and Jeff Bartos in the general election.

Tenure

Fetterman was sworn into office as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania on January 15, 2019, replacing Mike Stack. ..... Fetterman went on a statewide tour, visiting all 67 Pennsylvania counties, and spoke to residents about legalization. After completing his tour, he published a report on his findings.

In a show of support for ... legalization and the LGBTQ+ community, Fetterman hung the pride flag and a flag with a ... leaf from his office's balcony, which overlooks the state capitol. State employees removed them when an omnibus bill, signed into law by Wolf, banned unauthorized flags on capitol property. Fetterman continued to defy the law by flying the flags outside his office.

An Associated Press review of Fetterman's daily schedule during his tenure as lieutenant governor found that he kept a light work schedule and was often absent from official state business. From his inauguration in January 2019 until May 2022, Fetterman's official schedule was blank for one-third of workdays. Additionally, the days that he worked were often short, ranging from four to five hours. He was often absent from presiding over the Pennsylvania State Senate, an official duty of the lieutenant governor. In 2020, he attended only half of the Senate's sessions; in 2021, he attended only a third of them.

Board of Pardons

The lieutenant governor has very little actual power, but does oversee the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons. In this position, Fetterman worked to increase commutations and pardons for those serving jail time in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Fetterman ran the Board of Pardons "with the heart of an activist and, at times, the force of a bully". The Inquirer also reported that he threatened to run against Attorney General Josh Shapiro (who, at the time, was planning a run for governor) unless Shapiro supported more pardons.

While chaired by Fetterman, the Board of Pardons recommended 50 commutations for life sentences, and Governor Wolf granted 47 commutations. .....

Donald Trump

In November 2020, Fetterman received national press coverage for saying Donald Trump was "no different than any other random internet troll" and that he "can sue a ham sandwich" in response to Trump threatening to file lawsuits in Pennsylvania alleging voter fraud in the 2020 presidential election.

Joe Biden won the 2020 presidential election in Pennsylvania, defeating Trump by more than 81,000 votes. Trump's claims of voter fraud led to a challenge of the results, and Texas attorney general Ken Paxton filed suit to overturn the election results in Pennsylvania and other states. Supporting that effort, Texas lieutenant governor Dan Patrick offered a reward of $1,000,000 to anyone who could prove a case of fraud in the affected states. Fetterman responded by certifying that Pennsylvania had discovered three cases of voter fraud; two men had cast ballots as their dead mothers (both for Trump), and another had voted on behalf of his son as well as himself (also for Trump). Fetterman said that Patrick should pay $1 million for each of these cases. He said he was proud to announce that Trump "got 100% of the dead mother vote" in Pennsylvania. Fetterman's lampooning of the alleged voting fraud received nationwide publicity.

U.S. Senate (2023–present)

Elections

2016

On September 14, 2015, Fetterman announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Pat Toomey in the 2016 election. His campaign was considered a long shot against two better-known candidates, Katie McGinty and Joe Sestak, the 2010 Democratic nominee for Senate. Fetterman was endorsed by former Maryland governor Martin O'Malley, former Pennsylvania treasurer Barbara Hafer, and the PennLive editorial board.

Fetterman's campaign focused on progressive values and building support through grassroots movement, drawing comparisons to Bernie Sanders. He was the only statewide Democratic candidate in Pennsylvania to endorse Sanders. Though lacking statewide name recognition, low on campaign funds, and polling as low as 4% a week before the primary, Fetterman garnered 20% of the primary vote. Katie McGinty, who spent $4,312,688 on the primary and was endorsed by Barack Obama and many U.S. senators, finished ahead of former congressman and admiral Joe Sestak, who raised $5,064,849, with Fetterman raising $798,981 and finishing third. After the primary, Fetterman campaigned on behalf of McGinty, who lost to Toomey in the general election.

2022

In January 2021, Fetterman announced he was launching an exploratory committee for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania. On February 4, 2021, Fetterman filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission declaring his intention to run for the Senate seat being vacated by Toomey. On February 8, 2021, he officially entered the race.

Democratic primary

Fetterman's main opponent in the Democratic primary was U.S. representative Conor Lamb. A political action committee supporting Lamb ran ads attacking Fetterman as "a self-described democratic socialist". While the ad cited an NPR article that called Fetterman a socialist, The Philadelphia Inquirer wrote, "Fetterman has never actually described himself that way." Both Lamb and another candidate, Malcolm Kenyatta, criticized Fetterman for an incident where he pulled a loaded shotgun on a black jogger whom he believed had fired a gun.

While leading in many polls, Fetterman received few endorsements in the Democratic primary. State representative John I. Kane said that the lack of endorsements was characteristic of Fetterman's "lone wolf personality". Darisha Parker, a state representative from Philadelphia, argued that his lack of endorsements was because he had "never come and introduced himself to me or any of my colleagues... if a lieutenant governor doesn't take the time to get to talk to somebody like me, then why would we want to send somebody like him to D.C.?"

Fetterman won the Democratic primary by a landslide with 58.7% of the vote to Lamb's 26.3%. He won every county including Philadelphia County, but struggled to win much of the city's black vote—capturing just 18% of the vote in the majority-black precincts. Fetterman's wife Gisele gave a victory speech on her husband's behalf, as he was hospitalized following a stroke.

Tenure

Fetterman took office on January 3, 2023. At 6 feet 8 inches tall, he is the tallest currently serving senator.

According to The New York Times, Fetterman's adjustment to the Senate has been "extraordinarily challenging—even with the [extensive] accommodations that have been made to help him adapt". To assist with Fetterman's stroke-related speech processing issues, the Senate chamber was outfitted with closed captioning technology at his desk and at the front of the chamber.

In February 2023, Fetterman attended his first Agriculture Committee hearing. He asked questions about trade and organic farming, but stumbled slightly over his words.

Fetterman was hospitalized for syncope (lightheadedness) for two days beginning on February 10, 2023. Two days after his release he was hospitalized again, for a severe case of major depression. For about two months, Fetterman lived and worked at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center. As part of his daily schedule at the hospital, his chief of staff arrived at 10 a.m. on weekdays with newspaper clips, statements for Fetterman to approve, and legislation to review. During his hospitalization, Fetterman co-sponsored a bipartisan rail safety bill, introduced after the derailment of a chemical-carrying train in East Palestine, Ohio, close to the border with Pennsylvania; the regulation aimed to strengthen freight-rail safety regulations to prevent future derailments.

On April 17, 2023, Fetterman returned to the Senate to chair the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee on food and nutrition, specialty crops, organics and research. The Washington Post said that Fetterman's "voice stumbled at times while reading from prepared notes" during the subcommittee hearing, but "he appeared in good spirits" and communicated a message about the importance of fighting hunger.

Fetterman was among the five Senate Democrats who voted against final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023. He said his vote was motivated by the new SNAP requirements included in the deal, which raised the work requirements from able-bodied adults under age 50 who do not live with any dependent children to adults under age 54.

Committee assignments

• Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry
  • Subcommittee on Commodities, Risk Management, and Trade
  • Subcommittee on Food and Nutrition, Specialty Crops, Organics, and Research (Chair)
• Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs
  • Subcommittee on Economic Policy
  • Subcommittee on Financial Institutions and Consumer Protection
  • Subcommittee on Housing, Transportation, and Community Development
• Committee on Environment and Public Works
  • Subcommittee on Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice and Regulatory Oversight
  • Subcommittee on Transportation and Infrastructure
• Joint Economic Committee
• Special Committee on Aging'

Political positions

Fetterman is often described as a social and fiscal progressive, including by himself. When running for Senate in 2022, Fetterman said that he is not a progressive and is "just a Democrat", explaining that many parts of his platform that were once considered progressive are now mainstream beliefs of the party. In 2022, The New York Times characterized Fetterman as "left-leaning".

Congressional stock ownership

Fetterman supports barring members of Congress and their immediate families from trading or holding stocks.

Environmental issues

Previously, Fetterman opposed fracking, calling the practice "an environmental abomination". He has since shifted his stance on the issue, saying that he supports permitting fracking, although he advocates for stricter environmental regulations. Fetterman says there needs to be a balance between decarbonization efforts and creating jobs in the fossil fuel industry. While running for lieutenant governor, he supported establishing two new fracking wells. In 2021, Fetterman said that he supports moving towards a "de facto moratorium [on fracking] because the transition is going to be toward green and renewable energy". In February 2021, he told MSNBC, "I'm embracing what the green ideal considers a priority. Like, you know, the Green New Deal isn't a specific piece of legislation. What I am in support of is acknowledging that the climate crisis is absolutely real."

Filibuster

Fetterman supports ending the filibuster in the United States Senate. He has also said that Democrats need to be more ruthless, like Republicans, in order to pass legislative priorities.

Foreign policy

In 2015, The Patriot-News described Fetterman as a "skeptic of free trade", given his opposition to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and a non-interventionist. Fetterman has said that the United States should not "be considered the world's police officers".

Gun policy

Fetterman supports greater restrictions on gun purchases.

Healthcare

Fetterman has described himself as a supporter of Medicare for All, saying that healthcare is a "fundamental human need and right". Fetterman's website states that "Healthcare is a fundamental human right," and that he would "support whatever path" is necessary to expand healthcare accessibility including the expansion of Obamacare. In debate, he reaffirmed he would vote for Medicare for All.

Israel

Fetterman is a strong supporter of Israel–United States relations and said if he is elected as a U.S. senator, he will "lean in" on the "relationship between the United States and Israel". He said that the U.S.–Israel relationship "is a special one that needs to be safeguarded, protected, supported and nurtured through legislation and all available diplomatic efforts in the region". He supports United States foreign aid to Israel, including Iron Dome funding. Fetterman criticized Congressional Democrats who voted against Iron Dome funding, calling them "fringe" and "extreme". Fetterman has said he supports the right of Israel to defend itself and is "passionate" in his opposition to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement. He supported a law signed into law by Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf that barred Pennsylvania from entering into contracts with companies that boycott Israel. He supports a two-state solution and the expansion of the Abraham Accords, the Arab-Israeli agreements brokered under the Trump administration.

Minimum wage

Fetterman supports raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

Policing

Fetterman has described himself as "pro-policing", including pro-community policing. He opposes defunding the police, calling the movement "absurd", but supports the Black Lives Matter movement. After Derek Chauvin, a police officer who murdered an unarmed black man, George Floyd, was convicted of second-degree murder, Fetterman tweeted his support for the verdict, stating that Chauvin was "clearly guilty."

As lieutenant governor, Fetterman supported legislation that would allow the police to use deadly force only in situations where officers or others nearby face imminent threat of death or serious injury.

Taxation

Fetterman supports implementing a wealth tax in the United States. He has stated "you know it when you see it..." and has said those "who have yachts" could be used as a potential benchmark.

Unions

Fetterman is a supporter of labor unions, saying "The union way of life is sacred".

Personal life

Fetterman is married to Gisele Barreto Fetterman (née Almeida), a Brazilian-American activist. Almeida, who was once an undocumented immigrant and a resident of Newark, New Jersey, heard about Fetterman's work as mayor of Braddock and wrote him a letter in 2007. Fetterman invited Almeida to visit Braddock, and a year later they were married. The couple has three children and they live in a converted car dealership with their rescue dogs, Levi and Artie. The family chose not to live in State House, the official residence for Pennsylvania's lieutenant governor.

In 2008, Allegheny County sued Fetterman and his nonprofit Braddock Redux for unpaid taxes. A tax lien was placed against Fetterman and his nonprofit for $25,000. In 2012, Fetterman paid off the unpaid taxes.

In fall 2020, Gisele Fetterman shared a photo of the family's home while John was being interviewed. Levi's humorous facial expression resulted in the photograph going viral. The next day, an unconnected fan of Levi created a Twitter account in his name and became friends with Gisele Fetterman, but remains anonymous. Levi and Artie have their own Twitter account with more than 25,000 followers. Levi is a mixed-breed dog and was featured in the CW's television special "Dogs of the Year 2021". In July 2021, the York Daily Record reported that Levi was an advocate for the increase of the state license fee for dog owners to fund the Pennsylvania bureau tasked with canine law enforcement, such as dealing with dangerous dogs and exposing puppy mills.

Fetterman is known for his casual style of dress. He is often seen wearing a sweatshirt and shorts and for a long time owned only one suit, which he wore when presiding over the Pennsylvania Senate, where there is a dress code. Fetterman purchased a new suit for his swearing-in as a U.S. senator.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Fetterman has a net worth between $717,000 and $1.58 million.

Health

According to Fetterman's chief of staff, Adam Jentleson, Fetterman has struggled with depression throughout his life.

In 2017, Fetterman's feet suddenly began to swell and he was subsequently hospitalized for testing. At that time, he was diagnosed by cardiologist Ramesh Chandra with "atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, along with a decreased heart pump", although this diagnosis was not known publicly until Fetterman's stroke in May 2022.

In 2018, Fetterman spoke publicly about his substantial weight loss. Fetterman, who is 6 foot 8 inches tall (2.06 m), had weighed more than 400 pounds (180 kg) before losing approximately 150 pounds (70 kg).

On June 4, 2019, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Fetterman "collapsed" while presiding over the State Senate; he became wobbly and grabbed the lectern to prevent himself from falling over, and a member of the Capitol's nursing staff came to examine him. Afterward, Fetterman's spokesperson said he had become overheated and was "back to normal".

On May 13, 2022, Fetterman had an ischemic stroke and was hospitalized. The stroke was induced by a clot caused by atrial fibrillation (irregular heart rhythm). Because Fetterman also had cardiomyopathy, his doctors implanted a pacemaker and defibrillator. He was discharged from the hospital on May 22, 2022.

In an early June 2022 letter, Chandra wrote that Fetterman was "well compensated and stable" and that "If he takes his medications, eats healthy and exercises, he'll be fine." His doctors reported that Fetterman did not sustain cognitive damage, and that they expected a full recovery. Fetterman expressed regret for having ignored his health; after the 2017 diagnosis with atrial fibrillation, he did not see a doctor for five years and did not continue medications.

In an October 2022 letter providing a medical update, Fetterman's primary care physician said that he "spoke intelligently without cognitive deficits" during examination and had significantly improved communication compared to his first visit with the doctor. Fetterman's stroke left him with symptoms of an auditory processing disorder, and he uses closed captioning as an aid to read speech in real time. The physician noted that Fetterman regularly attends speech therapy, routinely exercises, takes appropriate heart medications, and "has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office."

On February 8, 2023, Fetterman was hospitalized overnight after feeling lightheaded during a U.S. Senate retreat earlier that day. His office reported that he was in "good spirits and talking with his staff and family", and that his hospitalization was unrelated to his stroke. On February 16, 2023, Fetterman checked himself into Walter Reed Hospital due to clinical depression. A senior aide later said Fetterman would remain hospitalized for "likely less than two months" while he underwent treatment. Fetterman was discharged from Walter Reed on March 31. He returned to the Senate on April 17 and chaired an Agriculture Committee subcommittee to discuss Pennsylvania's farm issues.

On June 9, 2024, Fetterman and his wife were involved in a two-car crash in Maryland. They were hospitalized but quickly released. Fetterman was found to be at fault for the crash after rear-ending another vehicle while speeding.

Film

Fetterman made a cameo appearance in the 2022 film The Pale Blue Eye. In December 2022, he posted a photo of himself and his wife alongside actor Christian Bale on the set of the film. Fetterman also worked with Bale and the film's director, Scott Cooper, in 2013, when they filmed Out of the Furnace in Braddock.

Electoral history

Braddock mayoral election, 2005 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	149	35.06%
	Democratic	Virginia Bunn	148	34.82%
	Democratic	Pauline Abdullah (incumbent)	128	30.12%
Total votes			425	100.0%

Braddock mayoral election, 2005 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	288	100.00%
Total votes			288	100.0%
	Democratic hold

Braddock mayoral election, 2009 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	304	65.38%
	Democratic	Jayme J. Cox	160	34.41%
	Write-in		1	0.22%
Total votes			465	100.0%

Braddock mayoral election, 2009 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	229	100.00%
Total votes			229	100.0%
	Democratic hold

Braddock mayoral election, 2013 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	186	75.30%
	Democratic	William David Speece	60	24.29%
	Write-in		1	0.40%
Total votes			247	100.0%

Braddock mayoral election, 2013 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	186	86.51%
	Write-in		29	13.49%
Total votes			215	100.0%
	Democratic hold

Braddock mayoral election, 2017 Democratic primary

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	165	70.82%
	Democratic	William David Speece	67	28.76%
	Write-in		1	0.43%
Total votes			233	100.0%

Braddock mayoral election, 2017 general election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman (incumbent)	243	97.98%
	Write-in		5	2.02%
Total votes			248	100.0%
	Democratic hold

U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania Democratic primary, 2016

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Katie McGinty	669,774	42.50%
	Democratic	Joe Sestak	513,221	32.57%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	307,090	19.49%
	Democratic	Joseph Vodvarka	85,837	5.45%
Total votes			1,575,922	100.00%

Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gubernatorial Democratic primary, 2018

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	290,719	37.48%
	Democratic	Nina Ahmad	184,429	23.78%
	Democratic	Kathi Cozzone	143,849	18.55%
	Democratic	Mike Stack (incumbent)	128,931	16.62%
	Democratic	Ray Sosa	27,732	3.58%
Total votes			775,660	100.0%

Pennsylvania Gubernatorial general election, 2018
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Tom Wolf (incumbent)/John Fetterman	2,895,652	57.77%	+2.84%
	Republican	Scott Wagner/Jeff Bartos	2,039,882	40.70%	−4.37%
	Libertarian	Ken Krawchuk/Kathleen Smith	49,229	0.98%	N/A
	Green	Paul Glover/Jocolyn Bowser-Bostick	27,792	0.55%	N/A
Total votes			5,012,555	100.0%	N/A
	Democrat hold

United States Senate election, 2022 Democratic primary election

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	752,402	58.6
	Democratic	Conor Lamb	336,933	26.3
	Democratic	Malcolm Kenyatta	139,260	10.9
	Democratic	Alexandria Khalil	54,351	4.2
Total votes			1,282,946	100.0

2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	John Fetterman	2,751,012	51.25%	+3.91%
	Republican	Mehmet Oz	2,487,260	46.33%	-2.44%
	Libertarian	Erik Gerhardt	72,887	1.36%	-2.53%
	Green	Richard L. Weiss	30,434	0.57%	N/A
	Keystone	Dan Wassmer	26,428	0.49%	N/A
Total votes			5,368,021	100.0%	N/A
	Democratic gain from Republican

See also

In Spanish: John Fetterman para niños