Kamala Harris swears in Democrat John Fetterman as Pennsylvania Senator

Vice President Kamala Harris swore in the 6-foot-8-inch John Fetterman Tuesday as the newest U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.

Fetterman, the Keystone State’s former lieutenant governor, was the only Democrat to flip a Senate seat during the 2022 midterms and gives the party its 51st Senate seat. 

Fetterman traded in his trademark hoodie and gym shorts for a suit, as he walked alongside Pennsylvania’s other Democratic senator, Sen. Bob Casey, to take the oath of office in the well of the Senate chamber alongside several other Senate colleagues.

Later, at a ceremonial swearing-in, the new senator was joined by his wife Gisele and the couple’s three children.  

The former mayor of Braddock, Pennsylvania beat out the Trump-backed television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz in one of the most closely watched races of the 2022 cycle. 

John Fetterman (left) walked into the Senate chamber Tuesday alongside Pennsylvania’s other Democratic Sen. Bob Casey (right) 

John Fetterman (left) walks into the well of the Senate chamber Tuesday alongside Sen. Bob Casey (right), his colleague from Pennsylvania 

Sen. John Fetterman talks with Sen. Chuck Grassley, a Republican from Iowa, on the Senate floor Tuesday after being sworn-in by Vice President Kamala Harris, the president of the Senate 

Just days before his May Democratic primary, Fetterman suffered a stroke leaving him with lingering auditory processing issues throughout his Senate run. 

Fetterman had to be aided by closed captioning when debating Oz in mid-October, with his shaky performance leaving many Democrats worried that Oz, who had been trailing Fetterman in the polls for most of the campaign, might jump ahead. 

But on election night the race was called for Fetterman before 1 a.m. 

Once all the votes were counted, Fetterman bested Oz by nearly five points. 

Fetterman’s team was successful in exploiting Oz’s carpetbagger status – as the TV doctor primarily lived in New Jersey during the run of his television show. 

Sen. John Fetterman (left) retakes the oath at a ceremonial swearing-in with wife Gisele (center) holding the Bible with Vice President Kamala Harris (right) 

Sen. John Fetterman (left) retakes the oath at a ceremonial swearing-in Tuesday, the first day of the new Congress 

John Fetterman, seen on election day voting in Braddock, Pennsylvania alongside wife Gisele (right), usually sports gym shorts and a hoodie 

Fetterman’s team made a big deal about Dr. Oz using the term ‘crudites’ in a grocery shopping video meant to hammer President Joe Biden. The joke was alive and well Tuesday with Fetterman’s communications director tweeting a picture of ‘crudites’ at inauguration 

The Fetterman campaign paid Snooki, a reality television star from the show Jersey Shore, to say Oz was welcome to return to New Jersey once his run was over, and paid for a plane to fly a banner over the Jersey Shore that said: ‘Hey Dr. Oz. Welcome Home to NJ! Love John!’ 

When Oz made a trip to Philadelphia to eat Philly cheesesteaks Fetterman tweeted, ‘Ah yes, the trip to Pats + Geno’s – the rite of passage for every tourist.’ 

And Fetterman’s team made a big deal when Oz used the term ‘crudite’ while filming a video grocery shopping to slam President Joe Biden for rising food prices. 

That joke was alive and well on Tuesday as Fetterman was officially becoming a member of Congress. 

His incoming commmunications director Joe Calvello tweeted a picture of a veggie tray writing: ‘Yes, there is crudites at the Fetterman inauguration.’