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By Jordan King
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Democratic Pennsylvania Senator John Fetterman has lost his unique leverage in Washington now that his party has pulled off a blue wave in the midterm elections.
The Democratic Party was handed control of the House and the Senate on Tuesday, dramatically reshaping Congress for the country.
In Pennsylvania, Fetterman has wielded the power of being the deciding vote in what was a narrowly divided Senate, as a Democrat willing to break with his party. But Democratic Senate gains across the country on Tuesday have pushed their seats from a minority of 47 to a majority of at least 54, after flipping at least seven seats, as of early Wednesday morning.
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This means Fetterman, who has long faced criticism from wings of his party for obstructing the Democratic agenda by voting with Republicans, will now have less power to force his party to listen to the views he represents.
Pennsylvania state Representative Malcolm Kenyatta was one of several who celebrated this as a win, writing in a post on X: “We just Fetterman proofed the U.S. Senate.”
Fetterman, whose term runs until 2029, has not said whether he will seek re-election in 2028, but the Democrats’ reduced dependence on his support could mean he faces an even more difficult path to securing his party’s nomination, on top of the fallout from alienating some of his party with his voting record.
Newsweek has contacted Fetterman’s office, via email outside of normal working hours, for comment.
At a Republican rally in September, Fetterman said: “I’m a lifelong Democrat who votes overwhelmingly with my party—and should the Senate flip in November, I will still be the 51st vote that I ran on.”
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John Fetterman’s Unique Voting Power
Before Tuesday, Republicans controlled the Senate 53-47, including the two independents aligned with Democrats, meaning that on some close votes, Fetterman’s willingness to defect could help determine the result.
In May this year, Fetterman was the only Democrat to oppose advancing a resolution that would have halted U.S. military strikes in Iran, requiring President Donald Trump to receive congressional approval before carrying out any other attacks. The resolution failed 49-50.
Notably, Fetterman was the only Senate Democrat to vote to confirm Pam Bondi as attorney general, and he also backed Kristi Noem for Homeland Security secretary, while opposing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Tulsi Gabbard. During the 2025 shutdown, he was among a handful of Democrats who backed Republican-authored bills to reopen the government. Newsweek has broken down his voting record here.
By the most widely used measure of party loyalty—CQ/Roll Call's annual vote studies—Fetterman has been the least party-loyal Democrat in the Senate. The measure tracks how often senators side with their party on "party unity votes" where a majority of Democrats oppose a majority of Republicans.
Fetterman has defended his record, arguing that he has voted in the interest of Pennsylvania and America, regardless of party affiliation. He has also suggested that he sees some Democratic Party moves as extremist, saying during a September Republican mid-term convention: “I’m always going to stand with America. I’m always going to reject the extremes and socialism and that anti-American way of life.”
But he has also repeatedly pushed back on any rumors that he may become a Republican, saying he was still loyal to his support for labor unions, LGBTQ rights and other issues held dear by the left.
Democrats’ Gains in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro defeated Republican state Treasurer Stacy Garrity, while Democrats flipped the following four Republican seats as of Wednesday morning:
- 1st District: Bob Harvie defeated Brian Fitzpatrick
- 7th District: Bob Brooks defeated Ryan Mackenzie
- 8th District: Paige Cognetti defeated Rob Bresnahan
- 10th District: Janelle Stelson defeated Scott Perry
"For the first time in decades, Pennsylvanians used their power tonight to flip the state Senate so that we can deliver even more results for our communities,” Shapiro said in a statement. “Now, with a Democratic trifecta, we’ll be able to get even more stuff done—from raising the minimum wage and lowering costs, to giving survivors their day in court, to building more housing and codifying abortion rights.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Ben Kelly and Emma Lee-Sang
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