By Kanishka Singh
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democratic U.S. Senator John Fetterman, who flipped a Republican-held seat in last November’s midterm elections, is doing well and remains on a path to recovery, his office said on Monday.
Earlier in February, Fetterman checked into a Washington-area hospital for treatment for clinical depression. He had suffered a near-fatal stroke months before his election win.
“John is doing well, working with the wonderful doctors, and remains on a path to recovery,” Fetterman’s communications director, Joe Calvello, said.
“He is visiting with staff and family daily, and his staff are keeping him updated on Senate business and news,” Calvello said, adding the senator’s full recovery was going to be a weeks-long process.
Known for his large tattooed frame, goatee and penchant for hoodies and shorts, Fetterman gained a national profile for his progressive positions. The former Pennsylvania lieutenant governor beat Republican celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz by a large margin in November’s midterm elections to replace former Republican Senator Pat Toomey, who retired.
Fetterman suffered a stroke last May, later acknowledging that he had “almost died,” and has faced challenges adjusting to life in the Senate during his recovery.
Since the stroke, he has suffered lingering problems with his ability to speak and to process the speech he hears. As a result, he uses monitors that provide audio-to-text transcription, according to a New York Times report earlier in February.
Fetterman was briefly hospitalized earlier this month after feeling light-headed, though doctors determined he had not suffered a new stroke.
(Reporting by Kanishka Singh in Washington; Editing by Leslie Adler and Aurora Ellis)
