Lt. Gov. rallies supporters in Jackson Twp. as he campaigns for U.S. Senate seat
JACKSON TWP – More than 80 Democrats enthusiastically welcomed Lt. Gov. John Fetterman to a Jackson Township restaurant Saturday night, as the hulking, shorts and hoodie-clad candidate for U.S. Senate made his final stop in a five-county tour of northwestern Pennsylvania.
Fetterman mingled with those sipping beer or noshing on sandwiches before and after his candid remarks to the supportive crowd.
“He is the genuine article as far as being an every man, and I think we need more of that in our politics,” said Joe Barber, of Jefferson Township.
“I think he has our interests at heart and will be a fair representative,” said Sylvia Nagle, of Jefferson Township.
Chris Arnold, the Democratic precinct committeeman for Jackson Township, said he was interested in learning Fetterman's take on Citizens United and the filibuster in Washington, D.C.
“We've had several meetings with him and feel he is well-grounded and quite intelligent and progressive,” Arnold said of the interaction he and his wife, Sue, had with Fetterman.
Fetterman said unlike some candidates, he is interested in traversing the countryside in Pennsylvania and learning the concerns of voters, even in Republican counties like the ones he visited Saturday.
“That is the core philosophy of this campaign,” Fetterman said. “Every county, every vote.”
The seat is now held by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who will not seek re-election.
“It takes a lot of skill to be hated by both the Democrats and Republicans,” Fetterman said of Toomey. “We have to replace Toomey with a Democrat.”
Fetterman pledged that not a single dollar donated to his campaign will be spent to sling mud at a fellow Democratic candidate.
He said he has crossed the $180,000 mark in donations, which have come from 90% of ZIP codes across the state.
“Unlike the hedge fund billionaire who's trying to buy this seat, we are doing it $28 at a time,” Fetterman said, referring to Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Fetterman also touched on the cries of voter fraud from the Republican party.
“It was one of our most secure elections ever,” he said of the 2020 presidential election.
He took Republicans to task for their case in Commonwealth Court to have mail-in voting declared unconstitutional, which he said the state GOP initially supported.
“We have to fight against that misinformation,” Fetterman said.
He also decried the minimum wage.
“If you want to change that, send me to Washington, D.C.,” Fetterman said.
He also shared his thoughts on supporting immigration, the LGBTQ community, lowering prescription drug prices, legalizing marijuana for recreational use, improving infrastructure and union jobs.
“The union way of life is absolutely sacred to me,” Fetterman said.
He pointed out that he and his wife refused accommodations in the lieutenant governor's mansion, with its chef and housekeepers and gardeners.
Instead, his wife, Gisele, opened the pool at the mansion to local children in Harrisburg in a learn-to-swim program, Fetterman said.
Valerie Farester, of Butler, smiled and applauded throughout Fetterman's speech.
“I just love him. I love his policies,” Farester said. “He's so real. I think he's what Pennsylvania needs.”
Tiffany Scheide, of Adams Township, said she has followed Fetterman since his days as mayor of Braddock, Allegheny County.
She doubted that Oz will be found in the rural parts of Pennsylvania as he campaigns for the U.S. Senate.
“Mr. Fetterman understands what real people are going through and not just people who have millions of dollars,” Scheide said. “We need someone in there who is going to fight for the people and get things done.”
Jackson Township was Fetterman's final stop Saturday after also sharing his message in McKean, Venango, Clarion and Warren counties.
