Several high-profile Pennsylvania Democrats are positioning themselves for a possible 2028 Senate bid as divisions widen within the party over Sen. John Fetterman’s independent-minded record and frequent breaks from Democratic orthodoxy on issues from immigration to Israel.
A growing number of Pennsylvania Democrats are reportedly preparing to challenge Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) in the 2028 primary, as the senator’s independent streak and willingness to align with former President Donald Trump on select policies continue to unsettle party leaders.
Democrats mentioned as potential contenders include Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio and former Rep. Conor Lamb, according to multiple Pennsylvania political insiders. Boyle has accused Fetterman of becoming “Trump’s favorite Democrat” and claimed he “went to Mar-a-Lago to kiss the ring.” Lamb has earned praise from progressives for his repeated criticism of Fetterman, while Deluzio has positioned himself as a populist voice from the Rust Belt and said maintaining a “good working relationship” with the state’s senior senator “matters more than taking opportunistic shots.”
When Axios began reporting on the story, Fetterman texted, “Enjoy your clickbait!” When asked a follow-up question, he replied, “Please do not contact.”
Fetterman later shared an article showing he has voted with Trump just six percent of the time — compared to Boyle’s nearly 14 percent — emphasizing, “ACTUAL NUMBERS, less clicks.”
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The possible challenges come after a series of public statements in which Fetterman distanced himself from the Democratic mainstream. In recent months, he has condemned fellow Democrats for embracing socialism, telling reporters that party members who romanticize socialist systems are “morons.” In June, he declared the Democratic Party had “sided with the Hamas regime” and “lost that argument,” asserting that Israel was not committing genocide and that Hamas “doesn’t have the kind of values and live the kind of ways that we want here in our country.”
Fetterman has also repeatedly clashed with party leaders over border and immigration policy. He was the first Democrat senator to co-sponsor the Republican-led Laken Riley Act, stating that “no family should have to endure the pain of losing a loved one to preventable violence.” The bill requires the Department of Homeland Security to detain illegal aliens charged with certain crimes.
He has additionally rejected calls to abolish Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), writing that the agency “performs an important job for our country” and describing efforts to abolish it as “inappropriate and outrageous.”
On foreign policy, Fetterman congratulated Trump earlier this month for brokering what he called a “historic peace plan” between Israel and Hamas, saying the two shared an “ironclad commitment to Israel.”
Fetterman has also drawn attention for his tone toward intra-party critics, recently sharing a study showing left-wing terrorism had reached a “30-year high” and warning that “unchecked extreme rhetoric, like labels as Hitler or fascist, will foment more extreme outcomes.” He urged that “political violence is always wrong — no exceptions.”
In September, he told CNN that Democrats should “stop saying Trump is acting like an autocrat,” arguing that such comparisons were harmful. “A lot of Americans happen to disagree with you,” he noted, “that does not mean they are fascists.”
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Fetterman’s willingness to work across the aisle has also earned him praise from Trump, who called him “a commonsense person” after a meeting at Mar-a-Lago earlier this year. Fetterman asserted that “no one is my gatekeeper” and insisted it was appropriate to meet with the president.
Polls show Fetterman retains strong overall approval among Pennsylvania voters, though a Quinnipiac survey found a majority of Democratic voters in the state disapprove of his job performance.
Rep. Boyle acknowledged he had “been quiet” about his concerns for a long time but felt compelled to speak up once Fetterman’s comments began to affect “how congressional Democrats were being perceived.” Deluzio has not ruled out a Senate bid, and a person close to him indicated he would take a “good look” at a run if Fetterman does not seek reelection.
Despite internal discontent, Fetterman has maintained his stance that he “follows country, then party.” During a recent town hall, he explained Democrats “designed” healthcare tax credits to expire at year’s end and added that the issue “was not something taken from anybody by the Republicans.”
“In a period of chaos, I refuse to vote to shut our government down,” he said. “Now, let’s have a conversation to extend it and not shut our government down.”
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