PHILADELPHIA — In the heat of a campaign tightening amid his opponent’s focus on crime, John Fetterman came to Southwest Philadelphia on Monday and in brief remarks aimed to reclaim the narrative.
“Dr. Oz lies about my record on crime,” Fetterman said at African Small Pot, a restaurant on Woodland Avenue. “Two of the things that I was most proud of in my career, stopping the gun violence as a mayor and fighting for the innocent and other individuals for a second chance. That is my record on crime. And that’s my commitment to fight for you in Philadelphia.”
Fetterman, the state’s Democratic nominee for Senate, spoke briefly to a room of community leaders, small-business owners and elected officials, at an event organized by state Sen. Tony Williams. Several formerly incarcerated people, now advocates for criminal justice reform, were also in the crowded restaurant. The 40-minute visit, cut short due to a lot of introductions, signaled Fetterman is trying to win over voters in Black Philadelphia communities and jump start turnout efforts.
