Democrats ‘Fetterman proofed’ the Senate with wins in longtime red states, Pa. senator’s critics say
Fetterman's former chief of state and a 2022 primary rival both say the Pa. senator's influence in the Senate was diminished as Democrats went deep into GOP territory.
Now that Democrats have won at least 54 seats in the U.S. Senate, the new majority party likely won’t have to rely on Pennsylvania Democratic U.S. Sen. John Fetterman to be a reliable vote for their agenda.
And if he switches parties, it will have no bearing on who controls the chamber.
For months, some Democrats had voiced concerns that Fetterman — who has broken with the party in high-profile moments since President Donald Trump took office — could be a powerful swing vote if they either tied or won a one-seat majority.
» READ MORE: John Fetterman votes with his party less frequently since Trump took office, rarely attends meetings
But as many online commenters pointed out Tuesday night, their gains will likely leave them with a “Fetterman-proof” margin.
“You know who doesn’t matter anymore? John Fetterman,” wrote Adam Jentleson, Fetterman’s former chief of staff, who has become an outspoken critic of the senator.
» READ MORE: What is John Fetterman doing?
State Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta, a Philadelphia Democrat who lost the 2022 primary to Fetterman, added: “We just Fetterman proofed the US Senate.”
Democrats scored wins in traditionally Republican states, including Texas, where Democrats had last won a Senate race in the 1980s, and Kansas, where Democrats snapped a 94-year losing streak in Senate races.
Those wins give Democrats a solid majority regardless of how Pennsylvania’s two senators vote. And the majority could grow if Democrats maintain their leads in Alaska and Mississippi.
Fetterman has repeatedly promised to remain a Democrat, though his assurances had not fully limited concerns that he would become an independent or Republican depending on what happened in the midterm elections.
On Tuesday, he did not comment publicly on his party’s massive wins, though he did post a straightforward message earlier in the day about polls being open.
He also did not campaign for any Democrats this year — in Pennsylvania or elsewhere — or advocate for them to regain the majority in the Senate.
At times, he and some of his party’s nominees were openly antagonistic toward one another — including Abdul El-Sayed, who is now set to join Fetterman in the Democratic caucus with his win in Michigan.
In the summer, El-Sayed referred to Fetterman privately as an “ogre” while saying he would support a primary challenge against him in 2028, according to Politico.
Fetterman responded by criticizing El-Sayed’s alliance with progressives, said he had “little man syndrome,” and — when a last-minute feud erupted between El-Sayed and U.S. Rep. Haley Stevens right before Election Day — supported Stevens.
