The centrist said it would be “gross” to leverage his positions that cut against Democrats and reaffirmed he has no plan to leave his party.
Since joining the Senate in 2023, Fetterman has at times embraced the characteristics of the political mavericks who came before him, such as Democrats-turned-independents Thune rejects new DHS offer from Democrats: ‘Not even close’of the agency.
That decision, which effectively bailed out Mullin’s stalled nomination in committee, has reignited tensions with Democrats and raised fresh questions about Fetterman’s role in a narrowly divided Senate., Fetterman called it “gross” to imagine he could have leveraged his position and that critics, Democrats included, are free to “judge me on me voting for what I think is true.” The centrist senator distanced himself from the brands of Manchin and Sinema, reaffirming he has no desire to leave the“I’m not like any of them. So, I will remain a Democrat, and I’m going to vote on things that I believe are true, and that does not mean that they’re entirely limited to the Democratic side,” Fetterman said. “My vote is not for sale.”, opposed. Without Fetterman, Mullin’s nomination would not have moved past the panel, and Senate Republicans lacked the 60 votes needed to discharge the nomination from the committee to the floor. said. “He’s just saying, if a policy feels right to him, he’s going to support it. If the person is the right person for the job, he’s going to support them. It’s pretty straightforward. In Washington, that’s kind of an unusual trait.” The approach sets Fetterman apart from Manchin and Sinema, who routinely used their swing vote status to extract concessions or shape legislation. Manchin served from 2010 to 2025, and leveraged his power atop the Senate’s energy committee and as a member of the appropriations panel to bring home federal funds for West Virginia and to push pet initiatives like permitting reform. Sinema, meanwhile, served from 2019 to 2025 and helped clinch a Biden-era bipartisan gun safety deal. Both heavily influenced Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure law and the Build Back Better Act, centered on the economy and clean energy, though their powers were notably leveraged to the max under a 50-50 Democratic majority. Fetterman, by contrast, has built a reputation as an unpredictable but transactional-free vote, one guided more by instinct than negotiation. The Pennsylvania centrist has been a thorn in his party’s side for the past year as Democrats have struggled to present a united front against President Donald Trump. Fetterman is an outspoken outlier among Democrats in his refusal to use government shutdowns as policy leverage, steadfast support for Israel, advocacy for a strong immigration agenda, and opposition to war powers resolutions seeking to curb Trump’s military operations against Iran. He was noncommittal Wednesday on whether he’d support a Republican vote slated for the following day on requiring photo ID nationwide at polling locations amid debate over Trump’s marquee elections bill dubbed the “I don’t have a label other than just someone that’s fighting for Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said. “It’s really part of the moral clarity, like Israel or securing our border — deport all the criminals — and if someone disagrees, they’re entitled. But I do think that’s the right side.” Sen. John Fetterman, D-Pa., speaks during a confirmation hearing for Sen. Markwayne Mullin, R-Okla., before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs, to examine his nomination to be Secretary of Homeland Security, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, March 18, 2026. The stance is exacerbating tensions among Democrats and renewing calls for Fetterman’s ouster, if he chooses to run for reelection in 2028. Former Rep. Conor Lamb, who lost the Democratic Senate primary to Fetterman in 2022, is eyeing another run and not hiding his criticism on social media. Another possible challenger, Rep. Brendan Boyle , hasSen. Peter Welch , elected to the Senate in the same 2022 cycle as Fetterman, remains a “good friend” to him and described Fetterman as “totally committed to improving life for the working class.” In a humorous jab at Fetterman’s usual wardrobe of a hoodie and gym shorts around the Capitol, Welch quipped that “Joe Manchin would never look so good in a hoodie and cargo shorts.”“With Manchin, there was a consistency based on political imperative. I don’t see these as parallel,” Van Hollen said. “Manchin was pretty effective at using his vote. And of course, he had the advantage of being here when we were in the majority for a period of time.”“I’ll pass on that one,” Murphy said. “It doesn’t do me a lot of good to comment on stories on my colleagues.”
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