Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) said there is one Republican who he would not campaign against if the opportunity arose.

During an interview with The Washington Examiner, Fetterman said he would not campaign against Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) if he decided to run for a second term in 2028.

Sen. Dave McCormick (R-PA) will have at least one Pennsylvania Democrat he doesn’t have to worry about should he run for a second term in the Senate.

Sen. John Fetterman, his home state colleague, told the Washington Examiner he won’t campaign against McCormick in 2030, an unusual promise from a member of the opposite party and one of the clearest signs of their political alliance yet.

“Well, I would absolutely never move against my friend,” Fetterman said when asked if he would support or oppose McCormick. He sidestepped whether he would endorse McCormick’s campaign, instead calling him a “great guy.”

“I would never, ever move against my friend,” Fetterman repeated.

His comments come after the senators formed a joint fundraising committee last month that could be a vehicle for GOP donors to give to Fetterman’s political operation, and vice versa. The move fueled speculation that Fetterman is toying with the idea of leaving his party — something he has repeatedly rejected.

Fetterman’s reluctance to take sides in a future McCormick race represents a reversal from 2024, when he fundraised for Sen. Bob Casey, the Democratic incumbent in Pennsylvania. During the campaign, Fetterman also openly criticized McCormick — who was then Casey’s GOP challenger — as a carpetbagger from Connecticut. (McCormick is a Pennsylvania native but spent years there managing a hedge fund.)

Fetterman has repeatedly bucked his party on issues like Democratic Socialism and support for Israel’s military actions against Hamas in the Gaza Strip. He has also been friendly with Republican lawmakers, focusing on areas they have in common.

Republicans have been trying to persuade Fetterman to leave the Democrats and join the GOP or go independent. In fact, President Donald Trump offered his full backing and significant campaign funding if he makes the move. Fox News’ Sean Hannity delivered the message, telling the senator, “Your job is to tell him: He’s gonna run as a Republican, he’s gonna have our full support, more money than he ever dreamed of, and he’s gonna win big.”

A few Senate Republicans have also discussed the idea with Fetterman. The effort relies in part on Fetterman’s friendships with Sen. Dave McCormick, (R-PA), and his wife, and Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), and her husband, according to Politico.

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Fetterman has said he will not switch. In an interview with Politico, he stated: “I’m not changing. I’m a Democrat, and I’m staying one.” 

In his own op-ed he wrote: “Plus, I’d be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.”