Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman says he will not campaign against Republican Sen. Dave McCormick when McCormick faces reelection in 2030—even if the Democratic Party asks him to help defeat his home-state colleague.
“Well, I would absolutely never move against my friend,” Fetterman told the Washington Examiner this week.
Asked whether he might go further and endorse McCormick, Fetterman stopped short. But he called the Republican a “great guy” and repeated his pledge.
“I would never, ever move against my friend,” he said.
That is an extraordinary commitment from a sitting Democratic senator. Members of Congress routinely maintain friendships across the aisle, but publicly refusing—four years in advance—to support your own party’s eventual Senate nominee is something else entirely.
🚨 JUST NOW: Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) promises to NOT campaign against Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) — Washington Examiner
This comes after the two senators set up JOINT FUNDRAISING
“I would absolutely never move against my friend.”
Fetterman is undoubtedly going to have to… pic.twitter.com/Y63JOBJIVM
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) August 12, 2026
McCormick defeated Democratic Sen. Bob Casey in 2024 and will be up for reelection in 2030. Fetterman’s current term ends in January 2029, meaning he would first have to survive what is increasingly shaping up as a dangerous Democratic primary in 2028.
Fetterman and McCormick are hardly an obvious political pair. McCormick is a former hedge fund executive and George W. Bush administration official known for tailored suits and traditional Republican politics. Fetterman built his image around hoodies, gym shorts and an aggressively populist campaign style.
Yet the two have developed one of the Senate’s more unusual bipartisan friendships. “We’re very, very good friends, and we get along, and we always try to find ways to work together,” Fetterman told Spotlight PA earlier this year.
“Pennsylvania deserves that,” he added. “We both realize that we don’t just represent our respective base. We represent all 13 million Pennsylvanians.”
They have sponsored legislation together, made joint media appearances and participated in a bipartisan fundraising effort called Common Ground PA.
McCormick has also defended Fetterman from attacks coming from inside the Democratic Party. “He’s willing to stand up and call out the craziness that’s happening in his party,” McCormick said during a recent television interview. “It’s made him unpopular with some of the people in his party.”
Fetterman was once one of Pennsylvania Democrats’ most popular political figures. That support has collapsed as he has increasingly broken with the party over Israel, immigration, government shutdowns and Democratic rhetoric about President Donald Trump.
A Quinnipiac University survey released in July found that only 19% of Pennsylvania Democrats approved of Fetterman’s performance. Another 69% disapproved, giving him a net rating of minus 50 points within his own party. The same poll found 80% approval for Fetterman among Republicans—an almost unheard-of partisan reversal for a Democratic officeholder.
Fetterman recently acknowledged the contradiction. “I can’t explain how a guy that votes 90% on the Democratic line has 80% GOP approval,” he told CNN. “If I’m becoming more unpopular with Democrats, that’s a strong correlation of being a proud Israel supporter,” he added.
Fetterman has also made more than 50 Fox News appearances this year, frequently criticizing Democratic leaders and warning that the party is losing working-class voters. The Pennsylvania Democrat has rejected speculation that he plans to become a Republican. But last month, he said the party’s support for Israel represents a “red line” that could determine whether he remains a Democrat. “If my party walks away from Israel, then I’m going to have to walk away from my party,” he said.
Fetterman has not formally announced whether he will seek reelection in 2028. Former staff members and Democratic operatives have openly speculated that he could retire rather than face an increasingly hostile party electorate.
If he does run, Rep. Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia is emerging as a possible primary challenger. Boyle has said he will decide later whether to enter the race, while other Pennsylvania Democrats have reportedly explored campaigns against Fetterman.
That explains the odd political reality surrounding the state’s two senators. McCormick may currently have a more dependable ally in Fetterman than Fetterman has anywhere in the Pennsylvania Democratic establishment.
Mediaite declared that Fetterman could become a “total non-entity” in Democratic politics by 2030. That may be wishful thinking. His standing among Democratic activists has cratered, but his popularity with Republicans and some independents could make him considerably more dangerous outside a conventional Democratic primary.
Fetterman’s friendship with McCormick could also become a central issue in 2028. Primary opponents will almost certainly argue that a senator unwilling to help elect Democrats should not expect Democrats to renominate him.
Fetterman appears prepared to accept that risk.
WIRE SOURCES:
- Mediaite: John Fetterman says he’d never campaign against Republican senator because he’s “my friend”
- Washington Examiner: Fetterman vows neutrality in McCormick’s reelection campaign
- New York Post: Fetterman “absolutely” won’t campaign against GOP friend Dave McCormick
- Spotlight PA: Fetterman and McCormick discuss their bipartisan Senate partnership
- Spotlight PA: Party-switch fears grow as Democrats turn against Fetterman
- Spotlight PA: Will Fetterman run for reelection in 2028?
- Axios: Pennsylvania Democrats plot a 2028 Fetterman primary challenge
