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{"id":27571,"date":"2026-10-22T08:49:54","date_gmt":"2026-10-22T08:49:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/democrats-are-eyeing-a-john-fetterman-challenge-chris-deluzio-is-already-laying-the-groundwork\/"},"modified":"2026-10-22T08:49:54","modified_gmt":"2026-10-22T08:49:54","slug":"democrats-are-eyeing-a-john-fetterman-challenge-chris-deluzio-is-already-laying-the-groundwork","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/democrats-are-eyeing-a-john-fetterman-challenge-chris-deluzio-is-already-laying-the-groundwork\/","title":{"rendered":"Democrats are eyeing a John Fetterman challenge. Chris Deluzio is already laying the groundwork."},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>BEAVER FALLS, Pennsylvania \u2014 At a packed town hall in a deep-red Pennsylvania county, Tod Marion stood up to ask Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio about his plans to make Congress an institution that no longer \u201cembarrassed\u201d him \u2014 one that might even make him \u201cproud again.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio, a 42-year-old father of four, called it a \u201cbig question\u201d and launched into a lengthy speech about Washington\u2019s failures to offer the younger generation the same social mobility afforded to older Americans like Marion, who identified himself as a husband of nearly 50 years and a believer in \u201cliberty and justice for all.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI don&#8217;t just have small dreams for this country \u2026 and that requires us to, when we need to, to compromise and work together,\u201d Deluzio said. <b>\u201c<\/b>I stand my ground on core values, and where I\u2019ve got to work with Republicans and House members and senators on delivering project funding, I do that. I think you need a representative who can do both of those things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It might as well have been a test run of his stump speech if Deluzio follows through on strong hints he\u2019ll run for Senate in 2028 \u2014 against fellow Democratic incumbent John Fetterman, who he suggests has betrayed some of those core values.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIf I&#8217;m going to do it, I&#8217;m doing it to win, and I\u2019m going to win,\u201d Deluzio said in an interview with Blue Light News over a plate of greens and beans \u2014 a Pittsburgh staple \u2014 followed by pumpkin ravioli at Sarafino\u2019s Restaurant, which he\u2019s patronized since he was a teenager. He said he\u2019s giving the matter \u201cserious thought\u201d and won\u2019t make a decision until after the midterms.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/img-6471.jpg\" alt=\"Deluzio speaks during a town hall in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 17.\" data-portal-copyright=\"Chris Marquette\/POLITICO\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"0\" data-license-id=\"\" data-licensor-name=\"\" data-title=\"Deluzio speaks during a town hall in Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, on Oct. 17.\"><\/p>\n<p>Deluzio <a href=\"https:\/\/penncapital-star.com\/campaigns-elections\/in-pgh-john-fetterman-rallies-the-base-in-u-s-senate-races-closing-hours\/\" target=\"_blank\">campaigned with Fetterman in 2022<\/a>, when both were seeking election to Congress. But he\u2019s since grown more vocal in his criticism of the senator and has been essentially laying the groundwork for a challenge for months \u2014 taunting Fetterman in media interviews and <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/ChrisForPA\/status\/2079561064648220848\" target=\"_blank\">social media posts<\/a>, hammering him over and over again in particular for his embrace of President Donald Trump\u2019s Iran war.<\/p>\n<p>He has slammed Fetterman for his unwavering support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and accused him of not being up to the job of representing the fifth-largest state. As a U.S. Naval Academy graduate who served in Iraq, Deluzio said Fetterman\u2019s endorsement of the war in Iran was the breaking point.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe have a lot of pretty serious responsibilities, but deciding when and whether to send Americans to fight is one of the most solemn responsibilities we have, and he treats it like a video game,\u201d Deluzio said.<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio also called out Fetterman for other actions he said are \u201cactively undermining\u201d Democratic efforts in a crucial election year.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe spoke at that [GOP midterm] convention. He&#8217;s on right-wing news constantly bashing the Democrats,\u201d Deluzio said. \u201cDemocratic committee people, candidates, you name it \u2014 they&#8217;re bringing up on their own how mad they are at this guy.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio is casting himself as someone who not only has a commitment to serve but a message that can resonate statewide. He\u2019s touting his efforts to campaign for Democrats across the state while dishing out significant cash to help them get elected \u2014 more than $1.5 million, he said, and \u201ca lot of that in Pennsylvania.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI look at the job I have in the Congress to represent the place that made me, represent three quarters of a million people. I don&#8217;t know, man \u2014 I still pinch myself that I get to do that,\u201d he continued. \u201cI cannot imagine somebody being a senator and just fucking blowing off the job, and you don&#8217;t do a public event for nearly a year. \u2026 That&#8217;s different than disagreements on votes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio is not the only Democrat weighing a primary challenge against Fetterman; others could include Philadelphia Rep. Brendan Boyle or Rep. Summer Lee, a Pittsburgh progressive. Another potential contender is Conor Lamb, a former House member whose failed primary campaign against Fetterman in 2022 paved the way for Deluzio\u2019s election to the House that same year.<\/p>\n<p>But Mike Mikus, a longtime Democratic operative in the state, said in an interview Deluzio could have a unique edge: Trump won Pennsylvania in 2024 as well as Beaver County, the latter by almost 60%. In Beaver County that same year, Deluzio outperformed Democrats running at the top of both presidential and Senate tickets. He also represents part of Allegheny County, which trends blue.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe way you win statewide in Pennsylvania is, run up big numbers in the deep blue areas \u2014 Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Harrisburg \u2014 but you have to hit a baseline in the red counties. That\u2019s how Biden won Pennsylvania,\u201d Mikus said. \u201cDeluzio has proven that he has that ability, because he\u2019s done it in Beaver County.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Fetterman, who has not announced whether he plans to run for reelection, did not respond to a request for comment about his intentions for 2028 or Deluzio\u2019s criticisms.<\/p>\n<p>Lamb declined to comment on his plans, while Boyle, in a statement, said he planned to \u201csit down and make a decision about 2028 based on where I think I can have the biggest impact on policy.\u201d A spokesperson for Lee said her focus right now is entirely on delivering for her district.<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio espouses a brand of lunch-pail, pro-labor politics that is similar to what Fetterman ran on in 2022. He touts his \u201cvision to reindustrialize this country,\u201d starting with the region he represents that was once anchored by the now-flailing steel industry.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of my district, especially Beaver County, lived through the consequences of really lousy, shitty trade deals that shipped away good manufacturing jobs for the promise of cheaper goods,\u201d he said, adding that support for union work is \u201ca big part of where the Democratic Party was and should be.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>He\u2019s especially proud of securing an $184 million earmark to modernize the Montgomery Locks and Dam along the Ohio River, which is estimated to generate thousands of union jobs while bringing more than $100 million in annual economic growth to the region.<\/p>\n<p>Deluzio also talks up his rail safety bill, which he introduced in response to the 2023 Norfolk Southern train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio \u2014 just over the state line from Beaver County. In a win for unions, the legislation would require two people to operate a freight train, while also imposing new regulations for carrying particular hazardous materials. Trump endorsed the bill in May, and it could be signed into law as part of a bipartisan surface transportation package.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/img-6435.jpg\" alt=\"A railroad crossing is seen in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Deluzio\u2019s district is covered in railroad tracks, including those run by Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which affected Beaver County.\" data-portal-copyright=\"Chris Marquette\/POLITICO\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"0\" data-license-id=\"\" data-licensor-name=\"\" data-title=\"A railroad crossing is seen in Carnegie, Pennsylvania. Deluzio\u2019s district is covered in railroad tracks, including those run by Norfolk Southern, the company responsible for the 2023 toxic train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, which affected Beaver County.\"><\/p>\n<p>He garnered national headlines last year when he joined five fellow congressional Democrats with military and intelligence backgrounds in filming a video warning military personnel <a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/SenatorSlotkin\/status\/1990774492356902948\" target=\"_blank\">not to follow illegal orders<\/a> from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump suggested the group be <a href=\"https:\/\/www.politico.com\/news\/2026\/02\/10\/lawmakers-military-orders-grand-jury-indictment-00775504\" target=\"_blank\">sentenced to death<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOf course it was jarring,\u201d Deluzio said of Trump\u2019s response. \u201cBut not for a second did this guy intimidate me. Not for a second deter me from the duty that I was elected in this job to do.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>After he returned from Iraq in 2010, Deluzio attended and graduated from Georgetown Law, clerked for a federal judge and worked as a voting rights attorney at the Brennan Center for Justice. He then moved back to Pennsylvania in 2020 and worked on voting rights and election security at the University of Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n<p>Marion, the constituent who asked Deluzio about congressional dysfunction at the Beaver Falls event, gave Deluzio credit for holding town halls while other lawmakers avoid public forums where they might get yelled at by voters, or worse.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cA lot of these guys aren\u2019t really showing up,\u201d said the registered Democrat from nearby Brighton Township.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/img-6458.jpg\" alt=\"Deluzio celebrates the opening of Etna Center for Community on Oct. 17. He secured $3 million in federal funds for the library and community center. \" data-portal-copyright=\"Chris Marquette\/POLITICO\" data-has-syndication-rights=\"0\" data-license-id=\"\" data-licensor-name=\"\" data-title=\"Deluzio celebrates the opening of Etna Center for Community on Oct. 17. He secured $3 million in federal funds for the library and community center. \"><\/p>\n<p>In between bites back at Sarafino\u2019s, Deluzio spoke more about why he\u2019d want to be in the Senate. The opportunity to vet federal judicial nominees is a \u201cbig deal,\u201d he said, as is the chance to vote on treaties and shape the Cabinet \u2014 especially if Democrats win back the White House in 2028.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cLook, it&#8217;s a bigger perch to shape domestic policy \u2026 But ultimately, it&#8217;s about people around here. I&#8217;m proud of how much money I bring home,\u201d he said. \u201cI think I\u2019ve led all House Democrats this year. I would do more of that if I were a senator.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>BEAVER FALLS, Pennsylvania \u2014 At a packed town hall in a deep-red Pennsylvania county, Tod Marion stood up to ask Democratic Rep. Chris Deluzio about his plans to make Congress an institution that no longer \u201cembarrassed\u201d him \u2014 one that might even make him \u201cproud again.\u201d Deluzio, a 42-year-old father of four, called it a [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":27572,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27571","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-congress"],"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27571","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=27571"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27571\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/27572"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=27571"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=27571"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/bluelightnews.com\/category\/politics\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=27571"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}