Two years out from the 2028 election, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman already has a challenger in the Democratic primary.
While Fetterman has not confirmed if he will seek reelection to his U.S. Senate seat in
Pennsylvania, Ahmed Moor, a Philadelphian born in Gaza, announced on Nov. 9 that he would challenge Fetterman for the role.
"My name is Ahmed Moor and I’m running for US Senate here in PA (election 2028). I’m running to end the war in Iran and to promote the dignity agenda: free healthcare, free childcare, and affordable housing," Moor said in a post to his X account, sharing a screenshot of an article from The Philadelphia Inquirer, which first reported the story.
"I’m calling for accountability for genocide, for ICE and for corruption," Moor said. "And finally, for the protection of our civil liberties in America."
Here's what we know about Moor.
Who is Ahmed Moor? Candidate seeks John Fetterman's Senate seat
According to his campaign website, Moor was born in Gaza and grew up in Philadelphia. His family moved to Ramallah in the West Bank to Gaza's northeast and lived there for three years, though they left after the second intifada began in 2000, the Inquirer reported.
Moor graduated from Roxborough High School and the University of Pennsylvania, then later earned a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University, the Inquirer reported. Throughout his career, he's worked at Swiss Re Capital Markets, a global reinsurance firm, then later became a journalist in Beirut as a freelancer for the Guardian and other outlets, covering the 2011 revolution in Egypt. He also spent time in Jordan, where he started a venture capital-backed lending organization for small businesses and served as a fellow at the Foundation for Middle East Peace.
Moor has been a dues-paying member of Philadelphia's chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America since 2023.
Moor's campaign addresses affordability, anti-corruption, funding for public schools, housing, healthcare and childcare.
Moor is also staunchly against the U.S. providing military aid to Israel in the wake of its repeated strikes on Gaza. He also wants to put an end to the U.S.' attacks on Iran.
"It’s clear the United States funds wars based on corruption and lies and has turned its back on its own people. We must make sure this never happens again," Moor said on his website. "That's why I'm running for U.S. Senate."
He's also in favor of creating sanctions against Israel, telling the Inquirer he would be in favor of a bill like the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act of 1986, which imposed sanctions on apartheid-era South Africa and created a list of conditions the country would have to meet in order for the sanctions to be lifted.
"We need to do away with the idea that Israel is a place where Jews have superior rights relative to Palestinians," Moor said. "That is not consistent with my values as an American. I think it’s also a recipe for endless conflict. As Americans, we’re deeply implicated in Israeli apartheid. We fund it. We sustain it. We protect it."
Fetterman's stances on Israel, Iran
While Moor opposes the continued funding of foreign wars, Fetterman is staunchly against limiting President Donald Trump's ability to attack Iran or cutting off aid to Israel.
Since the start of the year, the U.S. Senate has repeatedly voted on war powers resolutions that restrict Trump's ability to attack Iran without congressional oversight, with Fetterman consistently voting against the measures.
In September, Fetterman criticized Macklemore for calling for a "free Palestine," saying the rapper's donations to Palestinian relief efforts would "go directly to Hamas."
"It's all going to Hamas, 100%," Fetterman said. "If you give any to those charities, it's going to Hamas."
In the past, Fetterman denounced protests calling for a ceasefire at colleges and universities, mocking students and calling the protests on Columbia University's campus the "pup tent intifada."
He spoke of his support both Israel and the U.S.' attacks in Iran in a Washington Post column in May, saying he believed "the leading state sponsor of terror should be held to account."
"In the wake of the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah have ramped up their attempts to dismantle our ally," he said. "I remained committed to fully backing the elimination of these terrorists and their leaders."
And if Democrats stop showing support for Israel, Fetterman has said he will leave the party.
"If they put that in our platform — no aid for Israel — and officially become the anti-Israel party, then yeah, that’s a red line for me," Fetterman told NBC News. "Democrats, we always should support Israel. That’s our special ally, you know? In the only democracy in the entire region, that’s Israel. So I’m always proud to stand with Israel."
Is Fetterman running in 2028?
As of Nov. 10, Fetterman has not confirmed that he will run in 2028. He has indicated that he believes he would do well in a primary against other Democrats when asked about his chances during a conversation in CNN's The Situation Room.
Finch Walker is the Pittsburgh Connect Reporter for the USA TODAY Network. Contact Walker at FWalker@usatodayco.com. Instagram: @finchwalker_. X: @_finchwalker.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Fetterman faces Democratic socialist born in Gaza in 2028 Senate race
