Top Democrats in Pennsylvania are maneuvering to run against Sen. John Fetterman in a 2028 primary contest, threatening to tear the party apart in the biggest battleground state in the nation.
Why it matters: Democrats haven't flipped a GOP Senate seat since Fetterman did it in 2022. He's still popular with Pennsylvania voters, even as Democrats turn on him over his softened approach to President Trump.
- Potential Democratic challengers are already bashing Fetterman — and each other — years ahead of schedule.
- Some Democratic officials are openly contemplating running against Fetterman or keeping the door open to a Senate bid in the event he retires.
The big picture: Democrats who could run against Fetterman include Reps. Brendan Boyle and Chris Deluzio and former Rep. Conor Lamb, according to multiple political insiders in Pennsylvania.
- 1️⃣ Boyle has been loudly critical of Fetterman on TV and social media, calling him "Trump's favorite Democrat" and accusing him of visiting the president at Mar-a-Lago to "kiss the ring."
- 2️⃣ Deluzio has been cultivating a national brand as a young populist leader from the Rust Belt.
- 3️⃣ Lamb has won the praise of progressives like Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) for repeatedly attacking Fetterman, who beat Lamb in the 2022 Democratic primary.
The other side: When Axios began reporting on this story, Fetterman texted, "Enjoy your clickbait!"
- Asked a follow-up question, Fetterman said, "Please do not contact."
- Fetterman later shared an article about a report from a conservative group showing that he is among "the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmakers" in Pennsylvania, voting with the president 6% of the time. He highlighted that the analysis showed Boyle voting with Trump nearly 14% of the time.
- "ACTUAL NUMBERS," Fetterman said. "less clicks."
The intrigue: Fetterman has long held presidential ambitions, according to people who know him.
- Fetterman did not respond to a question about whether he would run for reelection to the Senate or president in 2028.
What they're saying: Asked by Axios if they'll run for Fetterman's seat, the three potential 2028 contenders did not rule it out.
- Boyle acknowledged he has a choice to make: "Right now I'm focused on doing all I can to ensure Democrats win back the House in 2026. … After that, I will make a decision about 2028." He's started to build his statewide profile, and activists and labor leaders have encouraged him to challenge Fetterman, said a person familiar with the talks.
- Deluzio sidestepped the question, saying he is concentrating on statewide judicial races this year and the midterm elections in 2026. He's appeared at multiple events outside his district, including high-profile rallies with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). He's helped recruit and endorse congressional candidates around the state.
- Lamb, an attorney, said he was "in the middle of a trial" and could not immediately talk about the race.
Between the lines: A person close to Deluzio said he would take a "good look" at a Senate bid if Fetterman declines to run for reelection.
- Deluzio, who hails from the same area as Fetterman, has not been as openly critical of the senator as other Democrats, but he has publicly disagreed with him on policy.
- Some former Fetterman aides believe he won't run for the Senate again because he dislikes Washington, D.C. and is now on a political island.
Zoom in: A majority of Democratic voters in Pennsylvania disapprove of the way Fetterman is handling his job, according to a September Quinnipiac poll.
- "There's a possibility of an opening in 2028, certainly, given the trajectory he is on with Democrats," said J.J. Balaban, a Philadelphia-based Democratic strategist.
- There has been rampant speculation in political circles that Fetterman may switch parties, but he has said repeatedly he will not leave the Democratic Party.
Zoom out: Fetterman enjoys a positive approval rating overall with voters in his state, which Trump has won twice.
- As Democrats look for a way out of the wilderness after losing last year's elections, they have been vigorously debating whether to welcome more moderate and conservative people into the party.
- Pennsylvania's 2028 Senate primary will test the size of their big tent.
The bottom line: In a sign that Democrats are already looking to outdo each other ahead of a 2028 Senate race, Deluzio took a thinly veiled swipe at Boyle over his recent attacks on Fetterman.
- "Keeping a good working relationship with the senior senator matters a lot more to my constituents than taking opportunistic shots at him," Deluzio told Axios without naming names.
- Boyle said in response that he had "been quiet" about his concerns about Fetterman for a long time, but that changed a few months ago when he realized the senator's knocks on the party had "such a detrimental effect" on "how congressional Democrats were being perceived."
