With a little more than two months until the 2026 midterm elections, Pennsylvania’s shadow primary leading up to the 2028 Democratic Senate primary election is in full swing, with one possible contender laying the groundwork for a run at Sen. John Fetterman’s seat.
Rep. Chris Deluzio (D-Allegheny), who is rumored to run for the seat along with Rep. Brendan Boyle (D-Philadelphia) and former Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Allegheny), is campaigning for Democrats up and down November’s ballot while increasing his attacks against Fetterman.
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With control of the US House running through Pennsylvania and a legislative trifecta hanging in the balance, Punchbowl News reported last week that Deluzio has made more than a dozen campaign stops supporting Democratic candidates this summer.
“I’m out there trying to help us win congressional races, state House and state Senate races,” Deluzio said in an interview with CNN on Friday. “Democrats are fired up to win and deliver a more responsible government.”
Last year, Deluzio endorsed Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, retired firefighter Bob Brooks, Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti, and former WGAL anchor Janelle Stelson in their congressional campaigns to help take back the House, and his social media feed shows him stumping for candidates in important races at the state level.
As Deluzio is campaigning with Democrats, he’s also dialing up the rhetoric on Fetterman, who recently held a joint fundraiser with US Sen. Dave McCormick (R) and promised not to campaign against his new friend come 2030.
“ It’s crazy stuff,” Deluzio told Midas Touch in June. “I mean, at this point, John Fetterman is fundraising to help the Republicans keep their Senate majority, keep their House majority.”
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He added on CNN that Fetterman, who was once a fixture for Democrats on the campaign trail, isn’t welcome anymore.
“ John Fetterman was elected as a Democrat to the United States Senate here in Pennsylvania, and yet 70% of Democrats disapprove of the job he’s doing,” Deluzio said. “No one’s asking John Fetterman to campaign with them. He has real work to do to earn back any trust with Democrats in Pennsylvania.”
A recent poll conducted by PennLive and the Bravo Group, a Republican-leaning lobbying firm, found that nearly 60% of respondents said they would vote for “someone else” over Fetterman if the Senate race were held this year.
When asked if Deluzio would take a run at Fetterman’s seat, he responded, “ I haven’t decided what I’ll do after this year. I’m focused on my reelection.”
