John Fetterman doesn’t look like an average U.S. Senate candidate — He’s got tattoos on his arms and stands well over 6 feet. He appears intimidating while towering over most of his hopeful constituents. The Harvard educated mayor of Braddock, Pa. is running for U.S. Senate and hopes to bring his principles and ideas to Washington. On April 3, Fetterman met with local residents at the Interstate Draft House in Fishtown.

Local organizers Denis Devine and Jimmy Perry put the event together in an effort to bring awareness to Fetterman’s campaign.

“You’re going to reach a different audience when you come to a neighborhood bar as opposed to a big event or a fundraiser,” Devine said. “I do think these people could become advocates to talk about him to other people.”

Fetterman is a three-time elected mayor of the small Pittsburgh suburb of Braddock. Aside from his appearance, he’s also catching the eye of politicians and the media for his efforts to bring his town back from the depths of post-industrial decay.

Fetterman has a masters degree from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. After he graduated, he came to Braddock to start a GED program. According to his website, Fetterman was captivated by the town. He purchased an old church and made it home for his wife, Giselle, and their three children.

Councilwoman At-Large Helen Gym was at the Draft House to see Mayor of Braddock. According to Gym, Fetterman is someone worthy of attention.

“I’m always paying attention to some of the most important races, and clearly the PA senate race is an important race for everybody to be looking at,” Gym said. “I think John’s an exciting candidate, and people should be paying attention.”

One of Fetterman’s accomplishments as Mayor was promoting Braddock as a place for artists to live. Gym believes his support for the arts will translate well in cities like Philadelphia. “When he talks about young people celebrating arts and music and bringing that into young people’s lives, that is a transformative aspect and he can actually build and invest around that,” Gym said.  “I think that’s different and powerful.”

Devine feels like Fetterman’s laid-back appearance helps him to relate to his constituents.

“Some of the choices he’s made about not getting dressed up, about keeping his distinct look with tattoos and stuff… It has the potential to capture people’s eyes and attention and I think our electorate might need more of that,” Devine said.

The atmosphere at the Draft House was very informal and Fetterman spoke directly to the packed bar with a dark beer in hand.

Fetterman’s tattoos are very relative to Braddock and the gun violence he’s worked hard to prevent — It’s something he takes very seriously. The zipcode for Braddock is etched on one arm and on the other are dates of all the homicides that occurred during Fetterman’s tenure as mayor. Fetterman believes his methodology and hands-on approach to the gun crisis will translate to big cities like Philadelphia.

“It’s my way of dealing with my own grief over it and memorializing what happened,” Fetterman said.  “These folks aren’t a news headline or a blurb on the evening news. These were lives and they had people that loved them, and they all died senselessly, tragically and needlessly. To me it’s just a way of putting what’s in my head and manifesting it on my arm.”

According to Fetterman, municipalities should have the ability to enact gun laws to protect their citizens. “Until the feds get their act together and we break the lobby like we did the tobacco industry, municipalities need to do what they can,” Fetterman said.

He points out that taking a proactive approach to law enforcement has led to a reduction in crime in Braddock. “We got rid of our lousy officers and hired good officers and just became really active in the community,” Fetterman said. “We were trusted, people talked to us.”

When I compared Braddock to Fishtown and Kensington, Fetterman was quick to draw distinction. “I don’t want anybody to make the mistake that Braddock was just a down on it’s luck mill town,” Fetterman said. “This was a place that was torn apart by deindustrialization, globalization, suburbanization and it’s facing significant challenges.”

According to Fetterman, he’s running a campaign from the ground up. “This is an authentic grassroots campaign that’s powered by 26 dollar donations,” Fetterman said. “I’m mayor of a town that people have written off for dead. If things in my community can get better, that’s a great message for every community in Pennsylvania because all you need is the appropriate leadership and resources and desire to make it so.”