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By Martha McHardy
US News Reporter
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Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman is expected to face a primary challenge in 2028, as discontent grows among some Democrats over his increasingly outspoken breaks with the party.
In a post on X, the Pennsylvania Working Families Party said it intends to mount a primary challenge against Fetterman in 2028, vowing to recruit a candidate who can take on the Democrat.
"We're primarying John Fetterman. Last week, Fetterman once again sold out working Pennsylvanians. He was the deciding vote for a Republican budget bill that will strip healthcare from over 400,000 Pennsylvanians. We deserve real working class leadership in the U.S. Senate," the post read. The party has not yet fielded a candidate.
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Newsweek reached out to representatives of Fetterman via email for comment.
Why It Matters
This potential primary challenge highlights growing fractures within the Democratic Party and underscores the tension between party loyalty and progressive priorities. Fetterman’s willingness to break with Democrats on key votes, such as the recent budget bill, has fueled criticism from progressive groups like the Pennsylvania Working Families Party.
A primary challenge could force Fetterman to defend his record to the party’s base, potentially shaping the Democratic agenda in Pennsylvania and signaling how far party activists are willing to push incumbents who deviate from their policy expectations.
What To Know
Earlier this month, Fetterman broke with most of his party, joining seven other Democrats and the full Republican conference to advance a funding measure that ended the 43-day government shutdown. The bill leaves out any extension of Affordable Care Act subsidies, a key sticking point in the funding fight, so they will lapse at the end of the year.
Fetterman has clashed frequently with his party over the shutdown, accusing Democratic lawmakers of causing it because they opposed voting for a bill that does not include ACA subsidies.
During the shutdown, which saw thousands of federal workers furloughed, thousands of flights canceled, and public services disrupted, Fetterman released a video declaring he would again side with Republicans to prevent a government shutdown.
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Meanwhile, his stance on Israel and votes in support of some Trump nominees have also rankled some members of his party.
“If you want a Democrat that’s going to call people Nazis or fascists or all these kinds of things...I’m not going to be that guy,” Fetterman told Fox News in October.
A Quinnipiac University poll released in October found Fetterman slipping badly among Democrats in Pennsylvania.
According to the survey, 54 percent of Democrats now give him a negative job rating, while just one-third view his performance favorably, a dramatic reversal from last year, when he enjoyed an 80 percent approval rating within his party and only 10 percent disapproval.
At the same time, his standing among Republicans has climbed: 62 percent say they approve of the senator’s work, compared with 21 percent who do not.
What Happens Next
Fetterman is next up for reelection on November 7, 2028.
Update 11/20/25, 9:11 a.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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