John settled in Braddock — a town that is majority-Black and where he still lives — where he spearheaded a program aimed at helping kids get their GEDs and find jobs. John decided to run for Mayor after two of his students were shot and killed, and he made it his mission to reduce gun violence. John was elected Mayor of Braddock in 2005 after winning his first race by one vote.
As mayor, John created opportunities for Braddock youth, brought in new business and jobs, helped restore access to health care after a hospital closed, confronted the epidemic of gun violence, and worked with the chief-of-police to institute a community-policing model. John served as Mayor of Braddock for 13 years, and one of his proudest achievements is going 5 ½ years without a loss of life due to gun violence in Braddock.
In 2018, John ran to be Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor, and won a five-way Democratic primary and a commanding victory in the general election.
As Lt. Governor, John has transformed the position, which frankly has limited power, into a bully pulpit, advocating for economic justice and criminal justice reform.
In 2019, John launched a statewide listening tour on legalizing recreational marijuana that persuaded Pennsylvania’s Democratic Governor Tom Wolf to support legalization.
John also chairs the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons through his position as Lt. Governor, which makes decisions on clemency and pardons in the commonwealth. Since taking over, he has revolutionized the post to fight to free the wrongfully convicted and give second chances to deserving longtime inmates, many of whom are disproportionately people of color that have been wronged by the criminal justice system. Within two years of taking over as chair, the number of pardon applications heard by the Board increased by 104%, and the number of pardon requests recommended by the Board increased by 69%.
In running for Senate this year, John is supporting the same core set of truths that he has been advancing for the last 20 years. He believes that the country is plagued by rampant inequality, a paltry minimum wage that has not changed in the last 12 years, poor housing and healthcare in marginalized and abandoned communities, a broken criminal justice system, a failed war on drugs, and continued restrictions on the right to vote.
For more information about John Fetterman: https://www.johnfetterman.com/