A Gaza-born West Philadelphia writer became the first candidate to jump into the 2028 Senate race for John Fetterman's seat, filing with the Federal Election Commission even as Fetterman himself has not said whether he will seek a second six-year term. Ahmed Moor announced his campaign this week, setting up what could become a crowded Democratic primary fight over the direction of the party in Pennsylvania.
The Philadelphia Inquirer describes Moor as Gaza-born. He was born in Rafah, a city in southern Gaza. He graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and earned a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University.
Moor has worked in finance in New York and journalism in Beirut. He is a writer and fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace.
Moor's Campaign
Moor has hired Rasha Mubarak as his campaign's finance director; Mubarak previously worked on campaigns for Rashida Tlaib and Cori Bush, according to the Inquirer. Moor wants to take his message on the road to all 67 Pennsylvania counties.
His platform includes universal free childcare and Medicare for All, along with a nationwide version of California's proposed wealth tax on billionaires. Moor has said his platform also includes rejecting corporate and special-interest influence in government and holding the Trump administration accountable for corruption, according to the same account. He has pointed to his own experience paying $5,000 a month for childcare when his daughters were younger — he has three daughters — as part of what shaped that plank of his campaign.
Israel, Gaza, and a Comparison to Apartheid-Era Sanctions
Moor has called for sanctions and an arms embargo on Israel in a Mondoweiss article. The Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986 set out U.S. policy toward the South African government and victims of apartheid and gave the president added authority to work with other industrial democracies to help end apartheid, according to a congressional statute record. The act prohibited U.S. loans to the South African government and prohibited new investment in South Africa. It also prohibited imports of specified South African goods and products, rather than imposing a blanket ban on every South African product, and prohibited the South African government from holding U.S. bank accounts. The act was enacted on October 2, 1986.
Fetterman has been a prominent advocate for Israel and has opposed measures to halt aid, a dynamic that the Guardian has cast as part of a broader buckling of Democratic support for Israel.
A Crowded Field Takes Shape Around Fetterman
Moor is not the only Democrat eyeing the seat. U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio of Allegheny County has cultivated a statewide network as he considers jumping into the race, while U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle consulted with senators about a possible run before saying this week he would remain in the House as budget committee chairman, pointing to his expected role leading that panel, according to NBC10 Philadelphia. Rep. Madeleine Dean has said she will continue to evaluate where she can do the most good for her constituents, Pennsylvanians, and the country, while a source familiar with Malcolm Kenyatta's thinking described his choice between a Senate bid and another run for state auditor general as a 50-50 call.
Much of that energy traces back to state Rep. Chris Rabb's win to become Philadelphia's first democratic socialist in Congress, a victory the Inquirer says spurred conversations about a potential progressive challenger to Fetterman. Rabb had defeated two more moderate candidates in Philadelphia's highly competitive congressional primary in May.
Polling Shows Pennsylvania Democrats Split on Socialism
That shift has coincided with a measurable move in how Pennsylvania Democrats view socialism. A poll of 615 likely Pennsylvania voters conducted from Sept. 15 through 21 found 57% of Democratic likely voters had a favorable view of socialism, compared with 24% unfavorable, the Inquirer's polling coverage shows. In the same survey, 38% of Pennsylvania Democrats said they consider themselves a democratic socialist, while 57% said they do not. Philadelphia's chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America has reported gaining more than 750 new members since May, bringing its total ranks to about 3,000, according to that reporting.
