▶ Watch Video: Sen. John Fetterman speaks with Major Garrett about midterms, political future
Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania said Saturday that it’s “entirely possible” his party could win control of the Senate in the midterm elections, but he also left the door open on his own political future.
“Let’s revisit after the midterm,” Fetterman told CBS News’ Major Garrett at the Texas Tribune Festival in Austin.
Democrats faced an uphill battle heading into the midterm cycle as they sought control the upper chamber, with 53 Republicans currently in the Senate and a map that appeared more favorable to the GOP. But as affordability issues have persisted in the Trump administration and amid the unpopular war with Iran, the picture has appeared to improve for Democrats as they aim to secure a majority in the Senate.
Fetterman, who delivered Democrats a crucial victory in a closely watched race in 2022, has been under scrutiny in recent years for breaking with his party, spurring questions about his future. Asked whether he would leave the Democratic Party, Fetterman said Saturday that he doesn’t “have a reason to.” And he emphasized, “I am not a Republican.” But he cautioned that people should wait until the midterm elections to “see what I do.”
“Let’s see what happens if I happen to be 51 — I don’t know,” Fetterman said.
Fetterman shocked many Democrats when he made a video appearance at the Republican midterm convention earlier this month introducing his counterpart, GOP Sen. Dave McCormick, while vowing to work with President Trump on steel.
But Fetterman said Saturday, “I have no path as a Republican.”
The Pennsylvania Democrat said, “There are no Republicans with a 90% Democratic vote line. There are no pro-choice, there’s no pro-gay community, that does not exist in the Republican Party.”
“How many times do I have to say it? And that’s the point. So wait until after the midterm and see what happens,” he said. “And now, if we do win and I’m 51, people can remember, ‘hey, that’s why it’s mathematically possible to retain the majority,’ because I was able to win a state like Pennsylvania.”
Pennsylvania is one of only two states in the country represented by one Democrat and one Republican in the Senate, alongside Wisconsin. A third state, Maine, has one Republican senator and one independent who caucuses with Democrat. Pennsylvania has flipped between supporting Democrats and Republican presidents in recent elections.
On whether he’ll seek reelection in 2028, Fetterman said he’s been actively fundraising, but he also indicated that the decision will come after the midterms.
Fetterman posed the question, “Where’s the Democratic Party at right now?” He pointed to attendance at a nearby event with controversial streamer Hasan Piker and “the energy” among the party, which has seen a series of wins by insurgent Democrats in recent months. He cited his commitment to Israel as an issue underscoring his divergence from some of the party, adding, “more and more members of my caucus are becoming more and more anti-Israel.”
He also pointed to the recent government shutdowns as an issue he diverged from the bulk of Democrats on, arguing that he’s “putting the country over the party” and fighting for workers.
“Do you think it’s right and smart to shut our government down? No, Democrats, we used to say, ‘No, never, never do that,'” Fetterman said. “And that put me at the odds of my caucus, saying, ‘It’s wrong.'”
Fetterman said he’s “chosen to be country over the party, knowing that some of these decisions are going to put me at odds.”
Asked whether he expects Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer to remain leader if Democrats take the majority, and whether he would vote for him, Fetterman said, “Yes, I mean, there’s no one making a move.”
Fetterman called a Marist poll that shows Democratic Senate candidate Josh Turek up eight points in Iowa “shocking,” among other races where Democrats are leading in some polls. He pointed to Schumer’s recruiting efforts, saying, “If people are angry at Chuck Schumer, it’s undeniable, he has recruited an incredibly strong class.”
“I don’t sharpen blades for Chuck Schumer, and there might be some people there that refuse to say it, but it’s not helpful to go after our leader because we have no idea until we wait until the midterm,” Fetterman said. “It’s irrelevant until what happens in the midterm.”
