Christopher Deluzio

Democratic incumbent U.S. Rep. Chris Deluzio of Fox Chapel, running for reelection in this year’s pivotal midterms, is positioning himself for a possible Senate run in 2028.

Although he hasn’t committed to running for the Senate seat currently held by embattled Democratic incumbent John Fetterman of Braddock, Deluzio said he is sure about one thing: Fetterman is “not going to be a Senator after 2028 — mark my words.”

Deluzio made that declaration in a statement to TribLive on Wednesday night after Fetterman appeared via video at the GOP midterm convention in Dallas.

Deluzio did so again Thursday morning in a campaign fundraising email. “Remember this moment. File it away,” he added in the email.

“I can tell you he’s thinking about it,” campaign spokesman Dan Henderson told TribLive when asked whether Deluzio plans to run for Senate in two years. “He’s getting a lot of encouragement — including at the (Pittsburgh) Labor Day parade.”

But Henderson added: “He’s laser focused on 2026 first. He has his own race to win and races all over the state to help Dems win too.”

Fetterman’s video appearance at the convention was the latest example of him breaking with his party — to the chagrin of many fellow Democrats and to the delight of Republicans. Fetterman introduced his Senate colleague from Squirrel Hill, Republican Dave McCormick, in the roughly one-minute prerecorded video.

Fetterman also has faced criticism since the Wall Street Journal published a report last week detailing instances where former staffers and other officials said the senator dodged meetings or public events. The article portrayed Fetterman as more interested in making Fox News appearances than handling the more routine aspects of his job.

In a statement issued over the weekend, Fetterman described the article as a “hit piece” based on information from “disgruntled staffers.”

Amid the turmoil, Fetterman has continued to vote largely with Democrats. He has long said he has no plans to leave the Democratic Party but said earlier this summer that he would if it ever adopted a platform to cut off aid to Israel.

Mike Mikus, a veteran political consultant who has worked on numerous Democratic campaigns, said he didn’t think the Democratic angst surrounding Fetterman would have an adverse effect on Democrats or buoy Republicans in the midterms.

“If anything, I think it unites all the wings of the Democratic Party against Fetterman,” Mikus said.

“As far as the impact this has on John Fetterman’s career as a Democratic senator and whether it could be coming to an end in 2028, I think this seals the deal,” Mikus said of the video appearance at the GOP convention. “In Pennsylvania, it’s often smart politics to have a few issues where you disagree with your party. But with Fetterman, it’s more his approach to how he’s doing it that makes me scratch my head. He often seems like he’s purposely trying to inflame” many Democratic voters.

As for Republicans in Washington embracing Fetterman now?

“It’s transparent than many of the Republicans making a point to make nice with him now aren’t really his friends,” Mikus said. “In many ways, he’s their useful idiot.”

Fetterman did not respond to a TribLive request for comment.

On Thursday afternoon, the prediction market Kalshi gave Deluzio the highest market odds — 48% — to earn Pennsylvania’s Democratic nomination for Senate in 2028. Following him were U.S. Rep. Summer Lee of Swissvale (42%), U.S. Rep. Brendan Boyle of Philadelphia (20%), former U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of Mt. Lebanon (15%), former U.S. Rep. Susan Wild of Lehigh County (5.9%) and Fetterman (1.2%).

“The people in my district who voted for him feel deeply betrayed,” Lee said in a statement to TribLive on Thursday. “He promised to fight to make life better for Pennsylvanians. Instead, he is aligning himself with a Republican Party and a president that snatched Medicaid and SNAP from working families across the country, including the people of the Mon Valley who he pretends to care so much about.

“He stood with Braddock when he needed a prop for his campaign, but abandoned them to be a sidekick to a freshman Republican Senator (McCormick).”

Regarding a potential Senate run, a campaign spokesperson said Lee is focused on her reelection campaign in Pennsylvania’s 12th Congressional District and isn’t looking beyond that.

Several Democratic operatives told TribLive that they consider the attention being paid to Fetterman’s fractured relationship with his party to be an unwanted distraction.

“Pennsylvania Democrats are focused on one thing only: winning up and down the ballot this November. We aren’t going to be distracted by GOP stunts like this video or a weak midterm convention held by a party that’s entirely dedicated to enabling Trump’s ego and defending his disastrous agenda while Pennsylvanians pay the price,” state Democratic Chairman Eugene DePasquale said in a statement to TribLive.

“We are fighting to beat (Republicans) — and that will remain our entire focus as we work to turn out every voter and deliver a resounding victory across the Commonwealth this November.”

The state party declined to comment further about Fetterman, who it didn’t mention by name in its statement.

Deluzio is seeking a third term in the House against Beaver County Sheriff Tony Guy, a Republican from Hopewell, in November’s election.

Guy told TribLive that he applauded Fetterman “for being his own man.”

“I think John Fetterman has become a model for the way a representative should be approaching serving their district and their state,” Guy said. “It’s not about being subservient to your party. It’s about being subservient to the people in your district.”

Asked about a possible Deluzio Senate run, Guy said, “I think it shows he’s looking past this (House) race. He shouldn’t be thinking about anything other than this upcoming election and how he can best represent the people of the 17th District.”