PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Senate candidate John Fetterman made a couple of campaign stops in Philadelphia Monday, amid polls showing that his lead over Republican Mehmet Oz is shrinking. He rallied labor support at an appearance in the Northeast.
Lt. Gov. Fetterman looked very much in his element at the APWU Local89 postal worker union hall in Northeast Philadelphia, his hoody and jeans blending right in with the 70 or so volunteers launching a pre-election canvass for pro-union candidates, a label Fetterman is clearly proud of.
“You’ll have an ally in D.C. to always stand for the union way of life,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman’s first order of business was to address what he called the elephant in the room: His stroke. He reassured the volunteers that he has largely recovered.
“Sometimes I might miss a word, or I might mush two words together sometimes, but at the end of the day, that’s where it’s at,” he said.
Related
Union members Grace Glennon and Denise James had no concerns about Fetterman’s health.
“I thought he was sharp. I thought he was on the ball. He had his list of things to tell us and we got it,” said Glennon.
“I don’t see why he should have to keep explaining to people,” said James. “I think people should be more compassionate.
Related
FiveThirtyEight’s curation of political polling currently has Fetterman ahead of Oz by a 6% advantage. His lead was double digits at separate points in August and September.
Fetterman is endorsed by city and state labor councils, while Oz is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police No. 5 in Philadelphia.
Related
Union endorsements are important because of canvass events like this, where members such as Clay Smith go door to door soliciting votes for their candidates.
“They spend some time on the doorstep, talk to people and say, ‘These are the issues that are good for you and your family and this is why we support these issues,’” said Smith.
Related
To show this is not a partisan issue, the members also welcomed Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Langhorne, who is running for re-election.
“Labor is my base,” said Fitzpatrick. “These are salt of the earth, organic human beings who are on the side of the angels.”
Fitzpatrick spoke after Fetterman left for West Philadelphia, where he walked a neighborhood business district with local elected officials.