Pennsylvania Senate candidate had stroke just before election

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), who is also running for the state’s Democratic Senate nomination, announced on Sunday that he suffered a stroke on Friday.

“I had a stroke that was caused by a clot from my heart being in an A-fib rhythm for too long,” Fetterman said in a statement. “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 is still under observation at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital, but said he is “feeling much better, and the doctors tell me I didn’t suffer any cognitive damage. I’m well on my way to a full recovery.”

Fetterman canceled his weekend campaign events, and it’s not clear if he will get back on the trail ahead of Tuesday’s closely-watched primary election. He is the frontrunner in the race, with limited public polling showing him ahead of another prominent candidate, Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.), by double digits, The New York Times reports.

Fetterman’s spokesman, Joe Calvello, told reporters on Sunday the campaign did not immediately announce the stroke because “John’s condition was evolving in real time since Friday. We wanted to put out something once we’ve had a clearer picture of his health.”