John Fetterman Hospitalized Overnight After Feeling Lightheaded: 'He's in Good Spirits'

Mark Makela/Getty John Fetterman

Sen. John Fetterman spent Wednesday night in the hospital after feeling lightheaded during a Senate Democratic retreat.

The freshman Pennsylvania senator, 53, was transported to George Washington University Hospital by his staff, spokesperson Joe Calvello said in a statement. "He is in good spirits and talking with his staff and family," Calvello added.

The incident raised alarm bells, as Fetterman previously suffered a stroke in May during his high-profile Senate campaign against Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz.

"Initial tests did not show evidence of a new stroke, but doctors are running more tests and John is remaining overnight for observation," Calvello said.

RELATED: John Fetterman Overcame a Stroke on the Campaign Trail to Win a Senate Seat: 'I Almost Died'

Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty

Following his stroke last May, Fetterman revealed he had a heart condition in a letter from his cardiologist that was released to the public. The letter said that Fetterman's stroke was caused by atrial fibrillation and that he also has a condition called cardiomyopathy, which led doctors to implant a pacemaker.

"If he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he'll be fine," his cardiologist wrote. "If he does what I've told him, and I do believe that he is taking his recovery and his health very seriously this time, he should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem."

RELATED: John and Gisele Fetterman Open Up About His 'Public' Stroke, Raising Kids on the Campaign Trail: 'No Regrets'

In a statement accompanying the letter, Fetterman acknowledged he had "avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn't feel well."

"As a result, I almost died," he said in the statement. "I want to encourage others to not make the same mistake."

Fetterman's stroke remained in the headlines throughout the race, as publications zoned in on his slurred speech and difficulty hearing — both long-term effects from a stroke, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine — which made some voters nervous as time went on. The Oz campaign also seized on the health issue, even mocking it at times.

RELATED: Fresh Off Crudités-Gate, Dr. Oz Campaign Mocks Pa. Senate Rival John Fetterman's Stroke with Veggies Comment

Michelle Gustafson/Bloomberg via Getty John Fetterman

However, Fetterman assured voters in an interview with NBC News in October that he didn't think the stroke was "going to have an impact" on him serving in the Senate.

"I feel like I'm gonna get better and better — every day. And by January, I'm going [to] be, you know, much better," he said at the time.

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Fetterman began his political career as the mayor of Braddock, Pa., before gaining national attention as lieutenant governor of a headline-making swing state. A prominent Pennsylvania Democrat, he was a major voice against former President Donald Trump's quest to overturn the 2020 Presidential election.

In February 2021, he announced he would be seeking Pennsylvania's Democratic nomination for Senate in a widely watched race following the retirement of incumbent Pat Toomey, a Republican. He was successful, defeating Trump-backed Oz in the November election, and becoming the first Democrat to win the seat since 1962.