Campaign Report — Fetterman’s health back in spotlight

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Questions amp up over Fetterman’s health

An NBC News interview this week with Pennsylvania Senate candidate John Fetterman (D) is drawing more scrutiny over the contender’s health amid his recovery from a stroke he suffered in May.  

When NBC News correspondent Dasha Burns mentioned during a segment that “in small talk before the interview without captioning, it wasn’t clear he was understanding our conversation,” it set off a flurry of remarks from Democrats and Republicans. Burns had noted it did not mean he was cognitively impaired and mentioned that he understood her questions when closed captioning was turned on.  

The response: While Democrats came to Fetterman’s defense to suggest that he was capable of being able to make small talk with them or that the stroke would not negatively impact the job he could do as senator, Republicans that spoke to The Hill’s Julia Manchester argue that the interview raises fair questions about what Fetterman is capable of handling. 

“It highlights why unfortunately there are legitimate questions about whether or not he’ll be up to the job,” veteran Republican strategist Doug Heye told Julia. 

Democrats believe that – amid pressure from Republican contender Mehmet Oz’s campaign and even editorial boards to release his health records – Fetterman is being transparent by doing long interviews with reporters. 

“The word that keeps coming into my head is honest,” T.J. Rooney, the former chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, told Julia. “The forthcoming nature of how he conducted himself is kind of true to who he’s been.”     

Road ahead: The swirling questions around Fetterman’s health come as he and Oz are scheduled to participate in a 60-minute debate later this month, seen as a test of how well the Democrat can fare during an extensive engagement. The debate will also test how well Oz can perform on his own.  

The Pennsylvania Senate race has turned into one of the most closely watched elections of this cycle, which Democrats see as one of their best pickup opportunities in a key battleground state.

While polls have shown Fetterman leading Oz, recent surveys have reflected that the gap is closing. And in a sign of just how much of an unknown this Senate race is, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report moved its previous rating of the seat from “lean Democrat” back to “toss up.” 

Progressive women to watch for in 2024

While Sens. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) have emerged as some of the most well-known progressive presidential candidates, it’s not an unforeseen possibility that politicos may also want newer and younger faces within the progressive wing for a 2024 bid. 

“If, for some reason, he is no longer seeking reelection, I offer a word of caution to prospective male candidates,” Charlotte Clymer, a writer and Democratic strategist who supports a Biden reelection bid, told The Hill’s Hanna Trudo. “Do not underestimate the general desire among women (and many men) in our party to see a progressive woman lead our nation.”   

The pool: Among some of the names that Hanna suggests to watch out for include Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez (D-N.Y.), Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D) and Rep. Katie Porter (D-Calif.). She notes how the women, though some are more well-known than others, have made their own names for themselves on policy positions or historic candidacies.  

“I think she could make one pretty damn interesting,” one source who’s spoken with Ocasio Cortez about considering a White House bid, told Hanna about the congresswoman. 

At the same time, those progressives will also have to contend with other Democrats who have either said or have been widely floated as possible 2024 Democratic contenders, including President Biden, California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) and others. 

WHAT TO EXPECT IN WISCONSIN, GEORGIA DEBATES

Two key debates to look out for this week are the debates for Wisconsin and Georgia Senate races. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) and Democrat Mandela Barnes will participate in their second and final debate on Thursday evening, while Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.) and Republican Herschel Walker will have their only debate on Friday. 

Both races are being closely watched given the battleground states will play determining roles in whether Republicans retake the Senate next cycle. Both races have been rated as “toss ups” by the nonpartisan Cook Political Report. If you missed the first Wisconsin Senate debate, we have you covered here. 

The Georgia Senate debate comes at a pivotal moment in Walker’s campaign following reporting that he had allegedly paid for a then-girlfriend’s abortion and later sought for the woman to have a second abortion. That reporting has not been independently reported by The Hill. The revelations – which Walker has denied – could play a factor in the election given that the former NFL star has detailed his views against abortion and absentee fatherism. 

POLL WATCH: 

In Ohio: A new Emerson College Polling-The Hill survey out today shows Republican Senate candidate J.D. Vance leading Democrat Tim Ryan 46 percent to 45 percent, falling within the margin of error and effectively tying the two.  

In Arizona: A Fox10-InsiderAdvantage poll out on Thursday shows Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake (R) leading Democrat Katie Hobbs 49.3 percent to 45.6 percent. In the Senate race, the poll shows Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) ahead of Republican Blake Masters 46 percent to 41.6 percent.

AD WATCH: 

First shared with The Hill: Wisconsin Senate candidate Mandela Barnes’s campaign launched a new 30-second ad on Thursday targeting Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) over the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot attack. It combines media clips that draw attention to the senator and a fake elector scheme. The ad follows a Jan. 6 committee hearing meeting earlier this year that showed evidence of a staff member of Johnson’s office trying to deliver an alternative slate of electors to Pence.  

Johnson has previously argued he was not involved in a fake elector scheme. 

“Let me clear things up here. I had no idea — when I got a call from the lawyer from the president United States to deliver something to the vice president, did I have a staff member that could help out with that? I had no idea what it was. And the fact of the matter was, nothing was delivered. The whole episode took less than an hour, and I wasn’t even involved. So again, I had no knowledge of an alternate slate of electors,” Johnson said during last week’s debate.  

That’s it for today. Thanks for reading and check out The Hill’s Campaign page for the latest news and coverage. See you next week.