How Will Voters React to John Fetterman’s Current Treatment for Clinical Depression?
A 6’8” “dude in shorts” with a salt-and-pepper goatee walks into the Senate…
John Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s newest Carhartt hoodie clad, bald bearded Senator has recently checked himself into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, seeking treatment for his clinical depression. Fetterman is not completely alone in his recent disclosure of his struggles with mental illness, as there are a handful of Congressional members who have also been open about mental health treatment. Despite the positive progression of mental illness acceptance, the stigma surrounding this topic remains as strong as ever. Fetterman has received both adulation and bouts of criticism from an array of colleagues, and one compelling question rests at the heart of this announcement: how will voters respond?
An extremely small margin decided the 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election, with Fetterman winning 51.2 percent of the vote to Oz’s 46.3 percent. Although Fetterman is not up for re-election until 2029, critics have begun to question his cognitive ability and capacity to govern. Fetterman, who incurred an auditory processing disorder as a result of his stroke in 2022, now utilizes assistive technology while on the Senate floor, including a “permanent live caption display monitor” at his desk. Fetterman also receives a live transcript of proceedings that appears on his tablet at his desk, courtesy of the Sergeant at Arms. Fetterman has certainly received praise from fellow politicians for his courage to set a considerate example for Americans with disabilities. However, it is unsurprising that some of his most impassioned opponents have taken his need for assistive technology and his recent announcement as a chance to attack his intelligence and reasoning abilities. Following Fetterman’s stroke in November, Donald Trump Jr. claimed that Fetterman had “mush for brains.” In February, Trump Jr. took to his podcast, “Triggered,” with his guest, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.), and referred to Fetterman as the “vegetable senator from Pennsylvania.” Although both quickly wished him well, Greene went on to say that “we need someone that’s thinking really well” and questioned “his ability to do the job.”
Assuming Fetterman returns to elected office after leaving treatment, any quantifiable impact of his diagnosis on his electoral support will not be observable until his 2029 reelection campaign – that is, if he decides to run again. Nevertheless, Fetterman’s diagnosis has real-time implications for constituent approval and opinion. Fetterman’s diagnosis will likely have considerable implications on the voting blocs that elected him in 2022, particularly young Americans, will not change its preference for him, and that many of that specific demographic will gain greater respect for him and his openness. In 2022, younger voters were more likely to vote for Fetterman than their older counterparts. The younger the voter, the more likely they were to vote for Fetterman. As such, it is possible that Fetterman’s support will follow a similar downward trend with increasing age, as shown in the graph below. Colder attitudes toward mental health in older demographics may have an impact on this already-lukewarm support.
Fetterman’s recent clinical depression diagnosis goes hand in hand with his earlier stroke.. In fact, about a third of people who have suffered a stroke struggle with clinical depression in the months following. Dr. Will Cronenwett, the chief of psychiatry at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine stated in a news release on February 17:
“One idea is that the stroke itself messes up the brain’s ability to function well – not just the part of the brain where the neurons are affected by the actual stroke, but the way the different brain regions talk to each other. As a result, it can cause cognitive troubles, and that can impact the way we see and perceive the world and lead to depression.”
Not to mention, Fetterman has battled depression on and off throughout his life, according to a statement released by his office following his check in at Walter Reed, which also noted that the Senator’s depression had worsened in recent weeks. Many psychologists and medical officials share concern about how swiftly Fetterman returned to the campaign trail last year. Not allowing himself a full recovery could also certainly contribute to the current severity of his depression. The tricky aspect of dealing with a mental illness such as depression is the fact that there is no clear standard regarding how long one should be hospitalized for treatment. Stays may range from a few days to as long as a few weeks, depending on the patient’s background and symptoms. Facilities like Walter Reed are truly integral to the treatment of mental illness and can act as safe havens for those recovering from depression. Psychotherapy options like antidepressant medications and/or therapy have been proven to be very effective when combined with medication, When discussing Fetterman’s recent treatment, psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Bober noted that, “The good news is that there are very good treatments for depression and there are response rates that are as high as 80 percent of people within four to six weeks.” He is hopeful that Fetterman will soon make a full recovery. Seemingly, Fetterman’s absence on the Senate floor may be short-lived.
The Senate’s February 20th to 24th recess gave Fetterman temporary respite, enabling him to relax and not have to worry about alternatives like paired or proxy voting. Paired voting occurs when two legislators of the same chamber of Congress agree to allow their votes to cancel each other out. This pairing can occur between members of the same party, but usually takes place between members of opposing parties.
Another option when a member of Congress is absent is proxy voting, in which the absent member gives permission to a chairman, ranking member, or a fellow member, to cast a vote on his or her behalf. Proxy voting is largely used to facilitate the operation of committees when a member is absent. Absent members of Congress are usually able to administer them without too much difficulty for most committee assignments and votes. Fetterman’s absence will be less impactful on the Senate floor proceedings, because one less Democrat still leaves them in the majority at 50-49. Even if another member is potentially absent, Vice President Kamala Harris would be called upon to cast the tie-breaking vote. While opportunities like paired and proxy voting exist, it is certainly not the same as him actually being present. What do voters make of this?
Mark and Becky Simeral, lifelong residents of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, are 70-year-old Democrats in a county in which 56 percent voted for Oz in 2022 and 62 percent voted for Trump in 2020. Mark categorizes himself as far-left, whereas Becky considers herself more of a moderate Democrat. When asked about Fetterman’s decision to check himself into treatment, Becky responded, “I think it was a courageous move, because he knows how detrimental this could be to his career.” A proud Fetterman voter, Becky said she would be hesitant to vote for him again if his treatment precluded him from participating in his entire freshman year in the Senate. But if he were able to resume his work relatively soon, she would most definitely repeat her choice. She “believes in what he believes in,” and thinks he is a “competent, good man.” Mark echoes her sentiments, saying that Fetterman did the right thing in checking into Walter Reed and that he hopes he can quickly recover, but nonetheless, he would vote for him “any day of the week.”
Sarah Fieman, a 19-year-old Lancaster County voter who currently attends school in New York City, NY, voted for Fetterman in the PA senatorial election last fall. She is relatively involved in politics, and considers herself to be a left-leaning independent. Sarah believes that Fetterman’s self-admittance is a “brave move.” When asked about her thoughts on the impact of his decision she said, “For many people this could change the way they view his ‘mental clarity’ as a senator, but his decision to seek help for his mental health demonstrates his ability to make tough decisions. It’s one thing to have a mental illness, it’s another thing to have one publicly.” She states that this certainly would not dissuade her from voting for him again, because she believes that “Fetterman has always been the obvious choice to represent PA” and “this brief moment in his personal life” does not change her opinion. Sarah advocated for a public discourse on mental health, noting that “depression affects so many people, it would be ignorant to doubt somebody because of it.” Though one individual is not necessarily representative of the demographic as a whole, Sarah’s positive sentiments about mental health treatment reinforce the likelihood of Gen Z support for Fetterman.
Molly and Chase Reynolds commended Fetterman’s actions as well. They are staunch Democrats and avid proponents of Fetterman throughout his campaign. They reside in the 40-49 age demographic, which was the closest in the Fetterman-Oz election, with Fetterman earning 50 percent to Oz’s 49 percent. Concerning Fetterman’s treatment, Molly said “I have so much respect for him in admitting himself to get the mental health help he needs. Everything happened so fast after his stroke, I believe his body didn’t have the time it needed to heal properly both mentally and physically, and I’m glad he is now taking the time to help himself heal further.” Chase echoed the opinions of Sarah and the Simerals, saying “It takes a lot of strength to not only admit you struggle with depression, but then to seek help, especially when your life is under a microscope.” They both enthusiastically reaffirmed their decision to vote for him and said that they would “absolutely vote for him again if he chooses to run, which we hope he does.”
The responses given by Sarah, the Simerals, and the Reynolds could be indicative of Pennsylvania voter’s views in the aggregate. It is likely that many voters will view Fetterman’s self-admittance as a bold, courageous step toward a more accepting America. Though these voters live in a country that went for Oz in 2022, their answers can theoretically be extrapolated to a majority of the Democratic voters in Lancaster and beyond county lines. A progressive, or even tolerant, attitude toward mental health is not always necessarily present among pre-millennial voters; yet, the feedback to Fetterman’s public disclosure of his struggles with mental health certainly seems like a positive indicator of America's growth and evolution in this domain.