Fetterman makes surprise appearance at volunteer center in Pittsburgh

Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman this past weekend made his first campaign-related appearance since suffering a stroke in May.

Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, posted a video to his Twitter feed Saturday showing him and his wife, Gisele, making a surprise visit to a Pennsylvania Democratic Party volunteer training site in Pittsburgh.

Sporting his trademark hoodie and shorts, Fetterman strolled into the center and received a standing ovation from the volunteers.

“It’s incredibly special to be back here in a room with all of you and that energy in the room,” Fetterman said, thanking the volunteers. “I am feeling so great, and we will be back out on the trail soon. We’re almost at 100 percent.”

Fetterman suffered a stroke on May 13 just four days before the Senate primary and days later also had a pacemaker with a defibrillator implanted. He’s been recuperating at home in Braddock, just outside Pittsburgh, since being released from Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital.

On the nearly 90-second video, Fetterman says the episode “almost was the end of my life, and it’s totally changed my life since then.”

Off the campaign trail since his stroke, Fetterman has stayed busy, though, lobbing online barbs and airborne attack ads at Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Earlier this month, Joe Calvello, Fetterman’s campaign spokesperson, told Pennlive that the 52-year-old remained on the path to a full recovery and would be returning to the campaign trail “really soon” after skipping July Fourth weekend festivities.

Calvello said Fetterman was resuming normal activities, including making trips to the grocery store and driving his children around.

Christina Kauffman, Fetterman’s chief of staff on the lieutenant governor’s office, said at that time that he has been “performing all of his official duties” except for presiding over the state Senate.

Fetterman’s only other currently known scheduled campaignrelated appearance will be at a sold-out private reception by Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania at a residence in Wynnewood, near Philadelphia, on July 21 where tickets ran between $100 and $2,900.