WASHINGTON — Senator John Fetterman, D-Pa. recently called himself a "lifelong Republican" in an accidental comment during a discussion about becoming an independent — a slip that captured a growing reality about his place in the Democratic caucus.
Fetterman votes with Democrats nearly 90 percent of the time since taking office in 2023. Yet he has publicly broken with his party on the war in Iran and immigration, used Republican fundraising platforms to raise money, and cultivated a close friendship with Senator Katie Britt, R-Ala. This year, his voting alignment with Democrats dropped to just under 81 percent, his lowest mark yet.
Earlier this year, Fetterman said plainly: if the Democratic Party turned its back on Israel, he would leave it.
"He's a staunch Democrat that votes with his party 96 percent of the time," a senior Republican aide said, dismissing speculation about a party switch as wishful thinking.
Fetterman's political arc has shifted sharply. In 2022, he ran for Senate with an endorsement from Senator Bernie Sanders, I-Vt. who framed him as a champion of the working class. Fetterman's victory over Dr. Mehmet Oz flipped a key seat and helped preserve the Senate for Democrats.
Since then, he has moved away from Sanders' progressive playbook. He has rejected the directives of Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and the broader caucus repeatedly.
Fetterman has not committed to seeking another term.
