Fetterman projected winner of Pa.’s Democratic U.S. Senate race

After consistently leading in the polls and just days after suffering a stroke, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is the projected winner of the Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate.

The Associated Press called the race just before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Fetterman, 52, defeated U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, advancing to the November general election. The former mayor of Braddock will face the winner of the crowded Republican primary.

The U.S. Senate race in Pennsylvania is viewed as one of the few chances Democrats have to build control in the upper chamber

The GOP contest includes conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, Montgomery County real estate investor and businessman Jeff Bartos, Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick, former Trump administration ambassador Carla Sands, Philadelphia attorney George Bochetto, and Montgomery County attorney Sean Gale.

“PA — thank you for choosing me as your Democratic nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania,” Fetterman tweeted. “I’m so deeply honored.”

Fetterman suffered a stroke Friday and underwent a procedure Tuesday to receive a pacemaker with a defibrillator to “help protect his heart and address the underlying cause of his stroke, atrial fibrillation, by regulating his heart rate and rhythm,” his campaign said.

If elected to the U.S. Senate, Fetterman said he would support abolishing the filibuster and would use upholding Roe v. Wade as a “litmus test” for any U.S. Supreme Court nominees. He has argued that it’s possible to address the climate crisis without banning non-renewable energy sources.