Rep. Chris Deluzio is “seriously” weighing a 2028 Senate campaign against Sen. John Fetterman, the Democrat he backed four years ago. The 42-year-old father of four, who represents a Pittsburgh-area district neighboring Fetterman's home, has not made a final decision, but he's not ruling it out either.
Deluzio Says He's Thinking It Over, Not Ready to Commit
Deluzio told Politico that he's giving a Senate bid serious thought, though he stopped short of announcing anything. Speaking to abc27, he put it plainly: “I might, I haven't decided that.” But he was clear about his mindset if he does jump in, saying, “If I'm going to do it, I'm doing it to win, and I'm going to win.”
For now, Deluzio says his energy is going elsewhere. Per the same abc27 report, he's focused on helping Pennsylvania Democrats flip congressional seats and build stronger majorities in the state legislature ahead of the midterms. He also took a direct shot at Fetterman's standing with the party's base, saying, “I don't think there's any Democrat in Pennsylvania who wants him campaigning with them.”
Fetterman Says He's Staying Put, Will Decide After Midterms
Fetterman's seat is up in 2028, and the senator has been actively raising money even as he leaves his reelection plans unsettled. According to CBS News, Fetterman said he'll decide whether to run again after the 2026 midterms. He's also pushed back on speculation about his party loyalty, insisting he has no reason to leave and declaring, “I am not a Republican.”
Fetterman has defended his record of breaking with his own party, telling CBS News he's chosen to put country over party even when it puts him at odds with Senate Democrats. He's also expressed optimism about the midterms themselves, calling it “entirely possible” that Democrats retake the Senate majority this cycle.
Frustration Builds Among Pennsylvania Democrats
The tension hasn't appeared out of nowhere. NPR reported rising Democratic frustration with Fetterman in Pennsylvania, pointing to his decision to appear in a video at the Republican Party's midterm convention endorsing GOP Sen. Dave McCormick, as well as the joint fundraising committee the two senators formed together. State and local Democrats, per that report, have also complained that Fetterman isn't part of the broader campaign push for Democratic candidates.
A Philadelphia Inquirer review added fuel to that complaint, finding Fetterman attended just 16 percent of his own committee meetings over the past two years and made only 31 public appearances or publicized meetings in Pennsylvania in nearly four years in office, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Separately, abc27 cited VoteHub data showing Fetterman voted in line with former President Trump's position 28 percent of the time over the past year.
Polling Paints a Mixed Picture of Fetterman's Standing
Polling on Fetterman's popularity among his own party has varied depending on the source. A Times/Philadelphia Inquirer/Siena poll of 760 Pennsylvania voters taken Aug. 17-21 found Fetterman viewed favorably by just 22 percent of Democrats, compared with 73 percent of Republicans — and that Republicans now view him more warmly than they do their own senator, David McCormick, according to the New York Times. The Atlantic, citing a recent New York Times survey, reported a different figure, putting Fetterman's favorability among Democrats at just 12 percent against 75 percent among Republicans.
A more recent PennLive/Bravo Group Morning Scrapple poll, surveying 620 voters with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.5 percentage points, found 74 percent of Pennsylvania Democrats disapprove of Fetterman and 78 percent said they'd vote for someone else if he were up for reelection this year, per PennLive.
Deluzio Wouldn't Be the Only Name in the Mix
Deluzio isn't the only Pennsylvania Democrat whose name has come up as a potential 2028 challenger. CNN has reported that Rep. Brendan Boyle, Lt. Gov. Austin Davis and former Rep. Conor Lamb have all been discussed as possible contenders. Boyle himself has said he's weighing a Senate run against the possibility of chairing the House Budget Committee if Democrats win back the House majority, per the same CNN report.
None of it is settled. Deluzio has made clear he hasn't decided, and Fetterman has made clear his own reelection plans will wait until after the midterms play out. For now, Pennsylvania's 2028 Senate race remains a question mark wrapped in growing Democratic unease, as first detailed by KFOX14.
