Top Pennsylvania Democrats are quietly gearing up for a political showdown three years out.
According to a new report, party officials are laying the groundwork to challenge Sen. John Fetterman in a 2028 primary, frustrated by his increasingly public break with the party line.
It’s unusually early for this kind of maneuvering—especially with the 2026 midterms still ahead—but it reflects a growing discomfort with Fetterman among Democrats. He’s not only taken high-profile positions that have angered party loyalists, but he’s also aligned himself with President Donald Trump, attending a Mar-a-Lago meeting and echoing GOP talking points on political violence.
If the effort to unseat him takes shape, several familiar names could be waiting in the wings. Democratic Reps. Brendan Boyle, Chris Deluzio, and former Rep. Conor Lamb are considered potential challengers, Axios reports. All three declined to rule out a run.
Lamb and Boyle, in particular, have been openly critical of Fetterman in recent months—an early sign of how fissures in Pennsylvania’s Democratic establishment could harden into something more serious.
It’s unclear whether Fetterman—widely believed to harbor presidential ambitions—will seek another Senate term or mount a White House run in 2028.
But his national profile hasn’t shielded him from a noticeable drop in support at home. A September Quinnipiac poll found that 54% of Pennsylvania Democrats disapprove of how he’s handling his job, compared to just 33% who approve. That’s a dramatic slide from January 2024, when his approval among Democrats sat at 80%.
Fetterman brushed off the chatter.
“Enjoy your clickbait!” he texted Axios, adding “please do not contact” in response to follow-ups. He also reportedly shared an article describing him as one of “the least Trump-aligned Democratic lawmakers” in the state.
Frustration inside the party continues to simmer. Boyle has called Fetterman “Trump’s favorite Democrat,” while Lamb has questioned his strategy, reviving a rivalry from their bruising 2022 primary. Party strategists privately warn that Fetterman’s alignment with Trump makes him vulnerable in a Democratic primary.
The tension has been building for months. Democrats were furious when Fetterman met with Trump at Mar-a-Lago ahead of his inauguration, a move that raised eyebrows even among some allies. He later said on ABC’s “The View” that Trump’s conviction of 34 felonies in New York was “politically motivated,” echoing right-wing rhetoric.
Since then, he’s praised the Trump administration’s foreign policy and border security agenda—particularly on Iran and Israel—and he’s played down Democratic criticism of Trump’s handling of the Israel-Hamas war.
More recently, Fetterman suggested that Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize if the current Israel-Hamas peace plan doesn’t collapse.
“Well, I mean, if this sticks. I think that the whole point of having a Nobel Peace Prize is for ending wars and promoting peace,” he told Fox News earlier this week, further cementing himself on the right.
The left has also criticized Fetterman’s voting record and alleged outbursts against staffers, which have caused many to stop working for him.
Overall, the stakes are high. Pennsylvania remains one of the most competitive states in the country, and Democrats can’t afford to lose ground. Fetterman still enjoys a distinctive political brand, making him a formidable incumbent. But his widening rift with party leadership could create an opening for a challenger from the left—or a more traditional establishment pick.
Some Democrats are already treating 2028 as more than just another election year. It’s becoming a test of what kind of party they want to be. And Pennsylvania could sit at the center of that fight: Do they keep making room for politicians like Fetterman, who buck the party line and court some working-class Trump voters? Or do they tighten their ideological guardrails after last year’s bruising losses?
No one’s declared yet. But the whispers are getting louder, and the first signs of an intraparty battle are already coming into view.
Republished with permission from Daily Kos.