The Scoop
Former Rep. Susan Wild is the latest Pennsylvania Democrat to consider challenging Sen. John Fetterman in 2028, according to a person familiar with her thinking who told Semafor she’s getting encouraged to run.
It’s the latest sign of Pennsylvania Democrats’ keen interest in ousting Fetterman, who’s increasingly isolated in his party, even within his state delegation. House members from the same state are generally loath to criticize their colleagues, especially in a battleground like Pennsylvania, but frustrations with Fetterman are boiling over a full two years before a possible Senate primary.
Fetterman has enraged many in his party lately by voting to confirm GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin as Homeland Security secretary and to advance DHS funding. That’s led Pennsylvania House Democrats to launch public campaigns aimed at pressuring him on key votes — and others to criticize him on social media.
Recent polling bolsters the belief among his possible primary foes that Fetterman could be vulnerable in 2028, with 62% of Pennsylvania Democrats disapproving of his job in a Quinnipiac poll released last month. Yet Fetterman maintained a net positive approval rating with Pennsylvania registered voters, bolstered by stronger numbers among Republicans.
Some in the party believe Fetterman might opt against a reelection bid or even switch parties, though he dismissed any plans to become a Republican as “amateur hour s–t” in an interview with Semafor last year. If he runs, Wild — who narrowly lost her purple district in 2024 — isn’t the only Pennsylvania Democrat who might take him on.
Rep. Brendan Boyle, D-Pa., raised eyebrows by declaring Fetterman “needs to go” in a social media post after the senator voted to advance Mullin out of committee. His posturing, and his nearly $5 million campaign war chest, has Pennsylvania Democrats suspecting he might run against Fetterman, though it would mean giving up a desirable House perch in a safe district.
Boyle left the option open in a statement to Semafor.
“Right now I’m only focused on doing everything I can to help Democrats win back the House this November, and become the next Chairman of the House Budget Committee. As for 2028, I don’t rule anything out,” Boyle said.
Rep. Chris Deluzio, D-Pa., who’s also increasingly critical of Fetterman in public, might also end up in the mix. Axios previously reported he could run if Fetterman declined to run for reelection.
Fetterman declined questions from a reporter on Capitol Hill, and his office did not respond to a request for comment on this story.
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Wild isn’t even the only former Pennsylvania House Democrat who’s leaving the door open to a Senate bid. Former Democratic Rep. Conor Lamb, who lost to Fetterman in the 2022 Senate primary, has toured the state over the last year as part of what he called a push for “accountability” for Fetterman.
Lamb’s string of town halls and other public events has convinced many in the party that his tour is more of a Senate campaign-in-waiting. Lamb, in an interview, called the senator’s performance in office “awful.”
“I generally think that what you do when someone’s doing a bad job in office is, you campaign against them at the next election,” Lamb said. “And so that’s probably going to have to be what happens.”
Fetterman contextualized his Mullin vote by noting that he’d called for President Donald Trump to fire former DHS chief Kristi Noem, but his break from his party began even before Trump took office again; the senator met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago. He then helped pass a Trump-backed immigration bill that another more centrist Democratic lawmaker now says she regrets.
Nicholas Wu’s view
Senate primary challenges to incumbents always get tough. A Democratic challenge to Fetterman, given how openly his party is blasting him now, could easily break toxicity records.
And a race that nasty leaves Democrats at risk of damaging their eventual nominee in one of the swingiest states in the country during a presidential election year when Pennsylvania will be a must-win for them.
Perhaps the best-case scenario for the party is Fetterman opting against reelection. And even then, the open seat would likely spark a larger free-for-all among ambitious Democrats — and Republicans — for the seat.
Room for Disagreement
There’s always a chance that Fetterman’s prospective foes get talked down from the ledge. One compelling argument for them to stand down: His high ratings among Republicans and independents might be his saving grace in a general election, making him tough for the GOP to beat on its own.
Even if Fetterman loses a Democratic primary, he might be able to make a play for the general election as a write-in candidate. The same Quinnipiac poll showing him underwater with Democrats had nearly half of independents approving of him.
That same tactic worked out for Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski — who, like Fetterman, has faced plenty of intraparty ire. She famously staged a successful write-in campaign in 2010 after losing her party’s nomination to a more conservative opponent.
Notable
- The Working Families Party is actively recruiting potential Fetterman opponents, City & State reported.