Some big news today out of Pennsylvania:
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman says he is taking “a serious look” at another run for the U.S. Senate in 2022, an ambition he plans to share with supporters on Friday.
“The 2022 cycle in Pennsylvania is going to be one of the most, if not the most, important races,” Fetterman told The Inquirer in a brief interview Thursday.
Pennsylvania’s open-seat Senate race is already considered one of the most competitive in the country and will help determine which party controls the chamber after the midterm elections. Sen. Pat Toomey, a Lehigh Valley Republican, announced in October that he won’t seek a third term or run for governor in 2022.
A stampede of candidates in both parties are expected to run. Fetterman, who lost a 2016 Democratic Senate primary, would bring a nationally known political brand and a social-media-savvy approach to governing and campaigning. His public profile has been elevated considerably over the last couple months as he emerged as a prominent defender of Pennsylvania’s election results, with frequent appearances on national TV.
Fetterman would be a very strong contender for the seat. Plus, what better way to stick it to Pennsylvania Republicans by winning Toomey’s seat after they pulled this bull shit:
The effort by congressional Republicans to deny the presidential results found an echo in the Pennsylvania legislature on Tuesday, when Republicans voted not to seat a Democratic lawmaker who was elected in November and to remove the lieutenant governor, also a Democrat, as the presiding officer of the State Senate.
On a typically ceremonial day of swearing in members, Pennsylvania’s Senate majority refused to seat Senator Jim Brewster, whose narrow victory was officially certified but is being challenged in court.
In a contentious, chaotic session, Republicans also voted to remove Lt. Gov. John Fetterman as the Senate president and to replace him with the top Republican in the chamber.
The lieutenant governor refused at first to leave the rostrum, and for several minutes both he and the Republican voted into his place tried to recognize motions from the floor. Eventually, Mr. Fetterman stepped away.
After what’s been going on lately, it’s not a bad idea to start gearing up for the 2022 midterms.
Fetterman is letting supporters know that he’s seriously looking into it. Received this e-mail today from Fetterman’s campaign:
I wanted you to be one of the first to know that I’m taking a hard look at running to represent Pennsylvania in the U.S. Senate.
Pennsylvania will be the most important Senate race in 2022. I’m confident we can win if we go for it. But before we make the call to announce a campaign, I want to get an idea of just how many of you would be with us.
Will you make a donation today if you want to see us run? You can give here:
https://act.johnfetterman.com/go/runforsenate
You already know exactly where I stand. I haven’t had to ‘evolve’ on key issues, because I’ve always said what I believe is true and I’ve stood and worked for the same things for the last 20 years:
- Establish a living wage that is at least $15 an hour
- Pass legislation to ensure health care for all Americans as a fundamental human right indistinguishable from housing, food, and education
- Fight for second chances and reimagine criminal justice reform
- Combat climate change — which is a real, urgent, complicated threat that requires immediate and coordinated action
- Legalize weed nationwide for jobs, justice, veterans, farmers, and revenue
- Fight for the union way of life and our workers
- Protect our LGBTQIA+ communities and continue to push for equal protections under the law
The point is, we have a consistent record to run on. Voters in Pennsylvania know me. They know I’ll always say what I believe. That’s why they elected me as their Lieutenant Governor.
If we run, we’ll build a giant grassroots campaign to fight for every county, every vote. Pennsylvania is 67 counties strong and I will continue to be a voice for all Pennsylvanians.
So, if you are in, please make a donation at this link to let me know:
https://act.johnfetterman.com/go/runforsenate
I hope you’ll consider chipping in.
Thank you,
John Fetterman
Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania
Click here to donate to Fetterman’s campaign to let him know you support his bid.