Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) appears to be facing a challenging path to re-election as he loses support among key voters who helped secure his 2022 victory, according to a new internal poll. Conducted by a Democratic-aligned firm ahead of Pittsburgh’s upcoming mayoral primary, the poll surveyed likely Democratic voters in the city. It found that 49 percent currently hold an unfavorable view of Fetterman, who resides just outside Pittsburgh.
Only 46 percent of respondents said they have a favorable opinion of the freshman senator. By contrast, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro remains highly popular among Democrats, with 82 percent expressing a positive view and just 13 percent viewing him unfavorably. Notably, the poll was conducted before the release of a New York Magazine article reported that staff are increasingly concerned about Fetterman’s mental and physical health as he continues to recover from a stroke he suffered in 2022.
While the internal polling appears to differ from other public surveys, the result has a number of Democrat lawmakers and strategists spooked, according to a report from Politico. “In Pittsburgh, this is a break-glass, freak-out moment for Fetterman,” a Pittsburgh-based Democrat strategist told the outlet on the condition of anonymity.
Fetterman and his allies have dismissed the poll as an outlier, suggesting that the senator is a victim of a “smear campaign” due to his support for Israel. “I know a hit piece when I see one. The only reason for the coordinated campaign against Senator John Fetterman is his unapologetic pro-Israel politics. Let’s call it what it is,” U.S. Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) wrote in an X post. “As someone who has struggled with depression my whole adult life, I can tell you that if you truly care about someone’s mental health, leaking hit pieces against them is a strange way of showing it.”
Fetterman also received an unlikely compliment from the Keystone State’s other senator, Republican Dave McCormick, who called on Democrats to “stop these vicious, personal attacks against Senator Fetterman, his wife, and his health.” He added: “While we have many differences, we are both committed to working together to achieve results for the people of Pennsylvania and make their lives better.”
