REPORT: Democrats Plan Primary Challenge Against Freshman Senator

Leading Democrats in the pivotal swing state of Pennsylvania are actively planning a primary challenge to Senator John Fetterman (D-PA), the moderate freshman Senator who has criticized his party on numerous issues since taking office in 2023.

According to a report from Axios, a primary challenge to Fetterman appears to be a near certainty, as potential candidates are already lining up to bash the senator, and each other, years ahead of Fetterman’s next election in 2028. The former Braddock mayor previously managed to secure the Democratic Party nomination in a contentious primary race with former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb in 2022.

In the 2022 race, Lamb attempted to position himself as a moderate while Fetterman largely campaigned as a progressive. Since taking office, however, Fetterman has repeatedly criticized the far-left faction of his party, particularly on the Israel-Palestine conflict, but also on immigration, cost of living and a host of additional hot button issues.

As a result, Axios reported that multiple Pennsylvania Democrats have already stated the process of positioning themselves for a primary challenge to Fetterman, or keeping the door open to a Senate run in 2028 should the incumbent retire. Fetterman suffered a stroke a few weeks leading up to the general election and continues to recover.

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Multiple House lawmakers are among those positioning themselves for a potential run, including Rep. Brendan Boyle, a progressive-aligned Democrat from the Philadelphia area, and Rep. Chris Deluzio, another progressive who represents a Pittsburgh district. Lamb is also reportedly considering another Senate run after retiring from Congress in 2023.

Boyle has been increasingly hostile towards Fetterman in TV appearances, calling him ”Trump’s favorite Democrat” and accusing him of visiting the president at Mar-a-Lago to “kiss the ring.”

Deluzio, who was first elected in 2022, is attempting to cultivate a left-wing populist image with Rust Belt appeal. As for Lamb, he has also leaned into a similar image while repeatedly attacking his former primary challenger in the press, which has drawn praise from prominent leftists like AOC.

Fetterman brushed off the threat of a primary challenge in a blunt message to Axios when asked for comment, saying, “Enjoy your clickbait!”

Fetterman later pushed back on attacks from potential challengers by pointing to a conservative group’s analysis on his voting record, which listed him as being among “the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmakers” in Pennsylvania. The analysis noted that Fetterman has voted with the administration’s agenda just six percent of the time.

In an acknowledgement of Rep. Boyle’s positioning, Fetterman highlighted that the congressman has voted with the president’s agenda nearly 14 percent of the time.

Fetterman did not respond to a question about whether he would run for reelection to the Senate, or run for president in 2028. According to sources familiar with Fetterman’s thinking, he has long held presidential ambitions.

When asked by Axios whether reports of a primary challenge were true, all three of the aforementioned potential candidates refused to rule it out. “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,” Boyle, who has started to build out a national profile, told the outlet.

Deluzio sidestepped the question, saying he is concentrating on statewide judicial races this year and the midterm elections in 2026. The congressman has also been working on his national profile by appearing at multiple out-of-state rallies with Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT).

Lamb, who is an attorney, stated that he is in the middle of a trial and cannot discuss politics at this time.