Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman To Run For U.S. Senate

On Monday, Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) announced that he will run for the state’s open Senate seat in 2022. He is seeking to replace Sen. Pat Toomey (R), who plans on retiring when his term is up. Back in 2014, Fetterman finished third in the Democratic primary in the race against Toomey.

Fetterman, who formerly served as the mayor of Braddock, Pa., identifies as a populist Democrat. In a video announcing his plan to run for Senate, Fetterman said, “These places across Pennsylvania feel left behind, they don’t feel part of the conversation. That’s why Donald Trump went to these small counties, and held these big rallies. We cannot afford to take any vote for granted.”

Fetterman has strong progressive credentials – supporting marijuana legalization, LGBTQ rights, some aspects of the Green New Deal and a minimum-wage increase to $15/hour. He has raised about $1.4 million for his campaign so far.

Rep. Conor Lamb (D) and Rep. Brendan Boyle (R) are also considering jumping in the race.