Sen. John Fetterman's poll numbers are sinking among Democrats in his home state of Pennsylvania, and it's looking more and more likely that he would face a strong primary challenge in 2028 should he run again. The most recent Quinnipiac poll shows that Fetterman has a 54% approval rating and a 33% disapproval rating among fellow Democrats in the crucial swing state, reports Newsweek. The numbers were 80% and 10% in January. The shift helps explain a report in Axios about top Democratic challengers already lining up.
Axios singles out Rep. Brendan Boyle, who has called Fetterman "Trump's favorite Democrat" and criticized his visit to Mar-a-Lago; Rep. Chris Deluzio, who is building a reputation as a populist leader; and former Rep. Conor Lamb, who has drawn progressive support for his attacks on Fetterman. None are committing to a run against Fetterman, but they're not ruling it out, either.
Fetterman, for his part, dismissed the criticism as opportunistic, pointing to data showing he is among the Democrats least aligned with Trump in Pennsylvania. He has not said whether he will seek reelection, though those close to him tell Axios he dislikes Washington and might not run again. He has also repeatedly rejected speculation that he will leave the Democratic Party.