Roughly two years out from the 2028 election, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman is already hearing from multiple potential challengers for his Senate seat.
The Democratic senator from Pennsylvania hasn't said for sure whether or not he'll run for reelection in 2028. If he does, he could see a familiar face.
U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, a Pennsylvania Democrat who was elected to the House since 2018, told Politico in a Nov. 10 interview that she's weighing a run for Fetterman's seat. If she opts to go forward, that election would mark a decade since the two previously faced off in another race.
US Rep. Madeleine Dean 'considering' challenge against US Sen. John Fetterman
Dean, who represents Pennsylvania's 4th District (most of Montgomery County and the majority of Berks County northeast of Reading), told Politico that she's "considering"
a Senate run against Fetterman.
"When I say consider, nothing is lighthearted," Dean said.
The representative, who briefly ran against Fetterman in the race for lieutenant governor in 2018 before her election to the House the same year, said she had been disappointed by his "activity as a senator and in his votes," adding that she was "concerned" about his family and his health.
Who is Madeleine Dean? US representative considers seeking John Fetterman's Senate seat
Dean entered politics in 2011, when she served as commissioner in Abington Township, according to her House biography. In 2012, she won a special election to the Pennsylvania State House, where she served for six and a half years and founded the PA-SAFE Caucus, a coalition of legislators and advocates working to end gun violence in the wake of the Sandy Hook shooting in Newtown, Connecticut. She was also appointed to the Pennsylvania Commission for Women in 2015 by then-Governor Tom Wolf, where she served as an advisor on policies and legislation to help serve Pennsylvania women and their families.
In 2018, Dean initially ran for lieutenant governor against Fetterman and other Democrats, then ended her bid for the seat to enter the race for her current seat in the U.S. House. Since her election to the seat in 2018, she has been focused on issues such as ending gun violence and guaranteeing healthcare for all. She currently serves on the House Appropriations and House Foreign Affairs committees.
Dean is a Pennsylvania native. She grew up in Glenside and graduated from Abington High School, attended college at La Salle University in Philadelphia and earned a law degree at Delaware Law School of Widener University.
Before her time in politics, Dean practiced law with the Philadelphia Trial Lawyers Association and eventually opened a small law practice in Glenside before changing careers to teach writing and ethics from 2001 to 2011 at LaSalle University.
Fetterman could face multiple challengers for US Senate seat
As of Nov. 13, only Ahmed Moor, a Democratic socialist who was born in Gaza and grew up in Philadelphia, had officially announced his campaign for the U.S. Senate seat currently held by Fetterman.
Moor, a Philadelphian businessman and journalist who is a member of Philadelphia's chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America, shared his campaign announcement in a Nov. 9 article published by The Philadelphia Inquirer.
"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 the Inquirer article.
U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio, a Democrat who represents part of Allegheny County and all of Beaver County, has also expressed interest in the seat. Deluzio told Politico in an October interview that he's given a Senate run "serious thought," though he has yet to make a decision.
Deluzio, an Iraq War veteran, voting rights attorney and union organizer, was first elected to his seat in 2022. He serves on the House Armed Services Committee, as well as the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and he previously served as a member of the House Veterans' Affairs Committee, according to his House biography.
Is Fetterman running in 2028?
As of Nov. 13, Fetterman had not publicly confirmed whether or not he planned to run for reelection in 2028. During a conversation in CNN's The Situation Room, he indicated that he believed he would do well in a primary against other Democrats when asked about his chances of reelection.
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: A PA US representative considering seeking Fetterman's seat in 2028
