Pennsylvania Senate candidate Fetterman has heart procedure after stroke

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania had a procedure on Tuesday to implant a pacemaker after suffering a stroke last week, according to a statement from his campaign.

The announcement that Fetterman would have the procedure came just hours before polls were set to close in Pennsylvania, where he has had a sizable lead in the polls to win the Democratic nomination in the state’s U.S. Senate primary. He’s facing other candidates including Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

“John Fetterman is about to undergo a standard procedure to implant a pacemaker with a defibrillator,” his campaign said in a statement on Tuesday. “It should be a short procedure that will help protect his heart and address the underlying cause of his stroke, atrial fibrillation (A-fib), by regulating his heart rate and rhythm.”

His campaign said later in the day that the procedure was successful and lasted roughly two and a half hours.

“He is resting at the hospital and recovering well," the campaign said. "John continues to improve every day, and he is still on track for a full recovery.”

The race for retiring Sen. Pat Toomey’s Senate seat will likely be one of the most intensely covered races of the 2022 primary season, seen as a pickup opportunity for Democrats. All eyes are also on the Republican primary, where TV personality Mehmet Oz, who is endorsed by former President Donald Trump, will face a tough race against conservative commentator Kathy Barnette and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick.

Fetterman’s campaign announced on Sunday that he’d had a stroke on Friday, after his weekend schedule was cleared without explanation. Fetterman credited his wife, Gisele, for noticing the symptoms early and taking him to the hospital.

“The amazing doctors here were able to quickly and completely remove the clot, reversing the stroke; they got my heart under control as well,” he said, adding that he did not have “cognitive damage.”