The Democratic National Convention, which kicks off Monday in Chicago, won’t feature one of its largest figures.

Pennsylvania’s junior U.S. Sen. John Fetterman, who stands 6 feet 8 or 6 feet 9 (depending on the source of information), will not be attending the four-day convention, his office confirmed to TribLive on Monday.

Fetterman, a Democrat, has endorsed the party’s November ticket of Vice President Kamala Harris for president and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz as her running mate.

Two weeks ago, Fetterman was with the pair in Philadelphia. His office said he was always planning to skip the convention this year to spend more time with his family.

“I’ve got three young kids, and they’re out of school,” Fetterman told political publication The Free Press on Monday. “That’s four days I can spend with my children.”

Fetterman has courted some controversy over the last year. He has emerged as arguably the most pro-Israel figure in the Senate, riling the progressive wing of the Democratic Party that is lobbying for a ceasefire and seeking more sympathy for Palestinian victims in the Israel-Hamas War.

The senator from Braddock also crashed his SUV in Maryland in June, hitting another vehicle while speeding. Fetterman was deemed at fault for the crash.

Fetterman wasn’t with Harris and Walz on their bus tour through Western Pennsylvania on Sunday. His office said he had booked a vacation for this week long before the bus tour was announced.

— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) August 18, 2024

On Monday, he expressed support for the Harris-Walz ticket, tweeting, “they just won Pennsylvania” in reaction to a post about the pair stopping by a Sheetz convenience store in Moon.

The convention runs through Thursday. Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. Austin Davis will speak Monday evening. Gov. Josh Shapiro is in Chicago at the convention and addressed Pennsylvania’s delegation Monday morning.

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