John Fetterman inches back onto the campaign trail in Philly with first fund-raiser appearances since stroke

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, largely absent from the campaign trail for two months, is slowly resuming his campaign after a stroke that nearly killed him.

Fetterman, who suffered the stroke four days before the May 17 primary election, has mostly remained out of public view but traveled to the Philadelphia area this week for a series of private fund-raisers.

Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania hosted a Thursday evening fund-raiser attended by about 150 people, many politically engaged Jewish Democrats from the region. The evening event, held at a private residence in Wynnewood, was closed to the media.

Fetterman received a standing ovation as he walked outside to meet the friendly crowd. He spoke for about 25 minutes, according to attendees, who described him as sharp and energetic. He did not take questions, but stayed behind afterward to chat with the guests and take pictures.

“Frankly, I think the people in the audience were more nervous than he was about, ‘Would he be able to do this?’” said Steve Irwin, a board member for the group and lawyer from Pittsburgh who attended. “But he spoke seamlessly. He really seemed like John. He was very positive, very energetic, and he showed a warmth that I don’t think he often allowed to come through before the stroke.”

The event came as Fetterman’s Republican rival, Mehmet Oz, has made dozens of campaign stops across the state and has challenged the lieutenant governor to face more questions in the public eye. Fetterman’s tentative steps toward campaigning have mostly involved private events with Democratic volunteers and supporters, though he did give his first media interview since the stroke this week, as well.

Hours before the Fetterman fund-raiser, Oz was walking through Kensington, passing out water bottles — though his event was also closed to the media.

In his remarks Thursday night, Fetterman profusely thanked his wife, Gisele, for saving him, and jokingly asked the Philadelphia-area crowd whether there were any Steelers fans around. He was warmer than usual, said Jill Zipin, who chairs Democratic Jewish Outreach Pennsylvania.

“John wasn’t always known for being warm and fuzzy, and at this event, he showed true emotion,” Zipin said. “He was really grateful to be here, he was really grateful for the support of the crowd. The crowd really embraced him and what he had to say.”

» READ MORE: Mehmet Oz says John Fetterman is Bernie Sanders 2.0. How similar are they?

Fetterman, in his signature hoodie and gym shorts, joked about Oz’s ties to New Jersey, and said that even though it’s 2022, “you’d think it was 1922,″ based on some of the policies gaining ground, such as abortion restrictions, Zipin said.

“He was the first to recognize that he’s not at 100% yet, and bear with him for a minute, but he knocked it out of the park,” said another board member, Brett Goldman.

Earlier in the day, Fetterman attended a smaller fund-raiser, hosted by U.S. Sen. Bob Casey.

On Wednesday, Fetterman tweeted a picture of himself and Gisele, smiling on a park bench in Rittenhouse Square.

None of the Philadelphia trip was open to the public or to the media. Fetterman’s campaign has kept a tight bubble around him as he’s recovered from the stroke. He had not given an interview to reporters until Tuesday, when he spoke for about 20 minutes on a video call with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He told the newspaper he was certain he was physically fit to carry on with the race, which is one of the most critical in the nation and could determine control of the Senate.

His performance will surely be scrutinized in coming weeks as he resumes in-person campaigning in the high-stakes race.

“I would never be in this if we were not absolutely, 100% able to run fully and to win — and we believe that we are,” Fetterman said.

» READ MORE: Mehmet Oz blamed his fund-raising gap on the abortion decision. He was trailing well before that.

Fetterman, 52, said he has “no physical limits,” walks four to five miles each day, can speak properly, and hasn’t lost any memory. In June, he released a statement saying he “almost died.” But on Wednesday, he told the Post-Gazette that now, after more than two months of recovery, he has few lingering concerns. He said he struggles with hearing at times, may “miss a word,” or “slur two together,” but that it happens infrequently.

After his stroke, Fetterman was given a pacemaker and defibrillator to treat cardiomyopathy and atrial fibrillation. The full details of his condition, including the severity of the stroke, initially took weeks to emerge.

As Fetterman makes an incremental return, Oz is in the midst of a flurry of campaigning around the state, which has largely been closed to new organizations. On Wednesday in Kensington, Oz handed out water bottles and spoke to voters about the opioid crisis and gun violence, according to a campaign release.

Oz has been hammering Fetterman’s absence from the trail, taking a page out of President Donald Trump’s 2020 playbook and accusing Fetterman of hiding in his basement. Oz’s campaign also tweeted out a picture of Fetterman’s face on a milk carton.

“John Fetterman continues to take the hiding in basement strategy to a new level,” communications Director Brittany Yannick said.

Fetterman has dropped into virtual volunteer events and at least one in-person training. His campaign says he participates in fund-raising and strategy meetings, has recorded new TV commercials, and has helped brainstorm social media responses to Oz, in their ongoing meme war.

Most recent polling shows Fetterman with a 4- to 9-point lead on Oz, but most political strategists expect the race to be close. Fetterman, who reported raising $11 million last quarter, out-raised Oz by $7 million in that period and has about five times as much cash on hand as his opponent.