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

Mark Makela/Getty John Fetterman

Democrat John Fetterman did what seemed impossible: he won the Pennsylvania Senate race over Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and flipped a Senate seat blue, just months after suffering a stroke during one of the most closely watched races in the country.

"It's official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania," Fetterman, 53, tweeted early Wednesday morning. "We bet on the people of Pennsylvania — and you didn't let us down. And I won't let you down. Thank you."

In May, Fetterman's political future seemed uncertain after he suffered a stroke. But days later, the politician released a video and statement about the incident: "The good news is I'm feeling much better + I'm well on my way to a full recovery."

Several weeks after suffering the stroke (and, days later, securing Pennsylvania's Democratic nomination for U.S. Senate), Fetterman also revealed he has a heart condition. The Lt. Gov. published a letter from his doctor with further details about the condition and his overall health.

Fetterman's cardiologist, Dr. Ramesh Chandra, wrote that Fetterman's stroke was caused by A-fib and that he also has a condition called cardiomyopathy, which led doctors to implant a pacemaker.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

From the letter: "The prognosis I can give for John's heart is this: If he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he'll be fine. 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."

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."

RELATED VIDEO: John Fetterman Defeats Dr. Oz in Critical Pennsylvania Senate Race, Huge Win for Democrats

The Lt. Gov.'s stroke remained in the headlines throughout the race and made some voters nervous as time went on. The Oz campaign also seized on the health issue, even mocking it at times.

Oz, 62, and Fetterman participated in one debate, clashing on an array of issues including abortion, a decision the Republican said should be left to "women, doctors [and] local political leaders." Fetterman, meanwhile, said his campaign "would fight for Roe v. Wade."

RELATED: John Fetterman Says He's '100 Percent' Able to Run and Win Pa. Senate Seat in First Interview Since Stroke

But most of the coverage of the debate hinged on Fetterman's performance in the wake of his stroke, which required that he use closed-captioning monitors to display moderators' questions and the candidates' answers.

While Fetterman's word recognition and cognitive abilities are intact, and he hasn't lost any memory, he does sometimes struggle with hearing, he said in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette at the time. Additionally, at times he may "miss a word" or "slur two together," likely the reason for closed captioning monitors at the debate.

Strokes can cause speech problems like word slurring and can affect hearing among other long-term effects, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.