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Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Deluzio said over the Labor Day weekend that he is actively considering a 2028 Democratic primary challenge against Sen. John Fetterman, according to CBS News Pittsburgh and The Hill.
Deluzio, a second-term Democrat who represents Pennsylvania’s 17th Congressional District in the Pittsburgh suburbs, told KDKA-TV reporter Ross Guidotti on Monday that he had received considerable encouragement at Pittsburgh’s Labor Day Parade.
He said his immediate focus remains on November’s midterms.
What Deluzio Said
On NewsNation’s “The Hill Sunday,” Deluzio told host Chris Stirewalt that he might mount a primary run but had not made a final decision.
He said his priority now is helping Pennsylvania Democrats flip congressional seats and give Gov. Josh Shapiro a governing majority in the state Senate while expanding the state House majority.
He added that Fetterman has been absent from the campaign trail, and said he did not believe any Pennsylvania Democrat would want Fetterman out canvassing for them even if the senator were willing to show up.
Deluzio also wrote on social media Friday that Fetterman has no sense of duty to constituents and is not fit for the office to which Pennsylvanians elected him, saying the state would address it in 2028.
Why Fetterman Is Under Fire
The criticism intensified after a Wall Street Journal report published Sept. 5 alleged that Fetterman has skipped meetings with constituents in favor of Fox News appearances. Fetterman called the piece a hit piece.
Deluzio was direct in his response, saying Friday that the senator has abandoned his obligations to voters.
Beyond the attendance allegations, Democrats across the country have spent roughly 18 months criticizing Fetterman for repeatedly siding with President Trump and Republicans.
Fetterman voted against every Senate war powers resolution introduced in connection with the Iran conflict. Per voting data compiled by VoteHub, he aligned with Trump’s position 28 percent of the time last year, the highest rate of any Senate Democrat.
Fetterman has also defended Israel’s military operations in Gaza and said in June that he would leave the Democratic Party if it officially became anti-Israel.
Deluzio’s Own Race This November
Deluzio is not without political pressures of his own. He faces a Republican challenge in the 17th District from Tony Guy, the Beaver County sheriff, in November.
Deluzio said his singular focus right now is on winning that race and helping flip additional Pennsylvania congressional seats before he considers any move toward the Senate. He told Stirewalt he would deal with 2028 once the midterms are settled.
The 17th District covers portions of western Pennsylvania.
Fetterman, who won the seat in 2022 after defeating Republican Mehmet Oz, would face reelection in a cycle that national Democrats see as potentially difficult in Pennsylvania given his crossover appeal to Republican voters.