Career Timeline of John Fetterman: Major Achievements and Milestones

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how John Fetterman made an impact.

John Fetterman is an American politician currently serving as a U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania since 2023. A Democrat, he previously served as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania from 2006 to 2019. Subsequently, he was the 34th Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania from 2019 to 2023. His political career reflects a move from local to state and then federal office within the Democratic party.

Sections (6)

Full Timeline Early Life & Education Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles Controversies & Scandals

1995: Fetterman Joins AmeriCorps

In 1995, after working at Chubb, John Fetterman joined the recently founded AmeriCorps and taught Pittsburgh students pursuing their GEDs.

2001: Fetterman Creates Youth Program

In 2001, John Fetterman led the creation of the Braddock Out-of-School-Youth Program to help local youth earn their GEDs.

2005: Fetterman Wins Mayoral Election

In 2005, John Fetterman won the Democratic primary for mayor of Braddock by a single vote against incumbent Pauline Abdullah. He then won the general election unopposed.

2006: Fetterman Becomes Mayor

In 2006, John Fetterman began his service as the mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania, a position he held until 2019.

February 25, 2009: Fetterman Appears on Colbert Report

On February 25, 2009, John Fetterman appeared on the Colbert Report and discussed Braddock's economic difficulties.

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2009: Fetterman Wins Primary Amidst Controversy

In 2009, during the Democratic primary for mayor of Braddock, Jayme Cox criticized John Fetterman for abuse of power after Fetterman released non-public records that showed Cox was arrested in 2004. Fetterman defeated Cox in the primary.

2013: Fetterman Wins Mayoral Primary

In 2013, John Fetterman handily won the Democratic primary for mayor of Braddock and was unopposed in the general election.

2013: Fetterman Marries LGBT Couples

Starting in 2013, John Fetterman began defying a 1996 Pennsylvania law and started to marry LGBT couples inside his home.

September 14, 2015: Fetterman announces candidacy for U.S. Senate

On September 14, 2015, Fetterman announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination for the U.S. Senate seat held by Pat Toomey in the 2016 election.

2016: Fetterman runs for U.S. Senate

In 2016, Fetterman ran for U.S. Senate but was considered a long shot against Katie McGinty and Joe Sestak.

2016: Fetterman's progressive campaign for Senate

In 2016, Fetterman's campaign for Senate focused on progressive values and grassroots support, drawing comparisons to Bernie Sanders. He garnered 20% of the primary vote despite low funding and name recognition.

November 14, 2017: Fetterman Announces Candidacy for Lieutenant Governor

On November 14, 2017, John Fetterman announced that he would run for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania.

2017: Fetterman Wins Mayoral Primary

In 2017, John Fetterman handily won the Democratic primary for mayor of Braddock and was unopposed in the general election.

November 6, 2018: Wolf and Fetterman Win Election

On November 6, 2018, Tom Wolf and John Fetterman defeated the Republican ticket in the general election, securing their positions as Governor and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania, respectively.

2018: Fetterman Elected Lieutenant Governor

In 2018, John Fetterman was elected as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, defeating Mike Stack in the Democratic primary and winning the general election with Tom Wolf.

January 15, 2019: Fetterman Sworn in as Lieutenant Governor

On January 15, 2019, John Fetterman was sworn into office as the lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, and was tasked by Governor Tom Wolf to look into legalizing marijuana statewide.

2019: Fetterman Becomes Lieutenant Governor

In 2019, John Fetterman became the 34th lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, serving until 2023.

January 2021: Fetterman Launches Exploratory Committee for Senate Run

In January 2021, Fetterman announced the launch of an exploratory committee for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania.

February 4, 2021: Fetterman files candidacy statement for U.S. Senate

On February 4, 2021, Fetterman officially filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission declaring his intention to run for the Senate seat.

February 8, 2021: Fetterman officially enters the U.S. Senate race

On February 8, 2021, Fetterman officially entered the race for the U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

2021: Fetterman Announces Senate Candidacy

In 2021, John Fetterman announced his candidacy for the 2022 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania.

September 2022: Fetterman Agrees to Debate Oz

In September 2022, Oz called on Fetterman to debate him. Fetterman agreed to debate in "the middle to end of October" but did not commit to a specific date in September, leading to criticism and raising questions about his fitness to serve.

2022: Fetterman Runs for U.S. Senate

In 2022, Fetterman ran for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania.

2022: Fetterman Wins Senate Election

In 2022, John Fetterman won the Democratic nomination and defeated Mehmet Oz in the general election to become a U.S. Senator for Pennsylvania.

January 3, 2023: Fetterman takes office as Senator

On January 3, 2023, Fetterman took office as a U.S. Senator, becoming the tallest currently serving senator.

February 2023: Fetterman Attends First Agriculture Committee Hearing

In February 2023, Fetterman attended his first Agriculture Committee hearing, asking questions about trade and organic farming, but stumbled slightly over his words.

April 17, 2023: Fetterman Returns to Senate to Chair Subcommittee

On April 17, 2023, Fetterman returned to the Senate to chair the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry subcommittee on food and nutrition, specialty crops, organics and research. His voice stumbled at times, but he appeared in good spirits and delivered a message about fighting hunger.

October 2023: Fetterman calls for Menendez expulsion

In October 2023, after federal prosecutors accused New Jersey Senator Bob Menendez of taking bribes, Fetterman was the first senator to call for his expulsion.

2023: Fetterman Votes Against Fiscal Responsibility Act

In 2023, Fetterman voted against the final passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023, motivated by the new SNAP requirements that raised the age of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependent children.

2023: Fetterman Becomes Senator

In 2023, John Fetterman became the senior United States senator from Pennsylvania, holding the seat since then.

March 26, 2024: Fetterman Denounced Biden Administration on U.N. Ceasefire Vote

On March 26, 2024, John Fetterman and Representative Josh Gottheimer criticized the Biden administration for not opposing a U.N. Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate ceasefire for Ramadan, with Fetterman reportedly advocating for continued military action against Hamas.

June 2024: Fetterman Visits Israel, Praised by Netanyahu

In June 2024, John Fetterman visited Israel, meeting with President Isaac Herzog and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who lauded Fetterman as a staunch supporter of Israel.

December 2024: Fetterman's Stance After Trump's 2024 Election Victory

In December 2024, after Donald Trump won the 2024 United States presidential election, Fetterman expressed a willingness to vote to confirm some of Trump's cabinet appointees and asked Democrats to "chill out", emphasizing the importance of supporting the country and president.

March 2025: Fetterman Misses Roll-Call Votes and Explains Absence

By March 2025, Fetterman had missed more roll-call votes than any other U.S. senator for the year, explaining that he often checked in with his father and preferred spending Mondays with his children instead of attending procedural votes. He also criticized hearings and quit the Democratic Caucus group chat.

March 2025: Fetterman calls for Democrats to be more ruthless and to vote for Republican funding bill

In March 2025, Fetterman called for Democrats to be more ruthless like Republicans to pass legislative priorities. He criticized Democrats for pandering to the left and voted for a Republican-led stopgap funding bill to avoid a government shutdown, especially regarding the Gaza war and Israel.