Live After Quit

“John Fetterman Unleashes: Overcoming Death to Take On Pennsylvania Politics.

John Fetterman, the Pennsylvania state senator and 2020 U.S. Senate candidate, knows a thing or two about life after death. Fetterman’s past experiences have prepared him for his current bid to represent Pennsylvania in the national arena, informing his values and drive to better the lives of the people he serves. In the summer of 1988, Fetterman was a senior in high school and had recently enlisted in the National Guard. The decision was one of his last significant decisions as a minor, as his father, an abusive and controlling man, had passed away months before. Despite the tragic circumstances, Fetterman’s experience of losing a parent at such a young age gave him a perspective on life that not many of his peers had. He notes, “I was so close to all of it, I already learned at a young age that life is finite, that it ends and there’s something else after it.” This perspective is not only evident in Fetterman’s recent Senate campaign, but in his work as an imposing but benevolent figure in Pennsylvania politics. It’s this attitude that has Fetterman tapping into what energizes and motivates him. On the campaign, he noted, “You have to just dive in with both feet and navigate through it. I’ve already been dead once, I can do anything.” When Republicans and Democrats alike in the Pennsylvania state legislature, who are usually at odds, came together to pass a new budget, it could only have been through a leader with Fetterman’s combination of pragmatism, strength, and vision. It is this perspective of having been “already dead once” that keeps Fetterman’s vigor alive and is propelling him to use the voice he now has to create positive changes for his constituents. He recently noted that “The way I saw it, if I never used this extra chance I’d been given to make a difference, there’d be no excuse.” As Fetterman strives to make a difference in the lives of his fellow Pennsylvanians and joins the U.S. Senate race, it is the memory of having faced death that keeps his ambition alive. This realization of life’s finality has enabled him to access a unique perspective that informs his values and is ultimately driving him to create positive change.