Focus groups: Pennsylvania swing voters warm to Fetterman's shift
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Sen. John Fetterman at the U.S. Capitol this month. Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Sen. John Fetterman is on the outs with some Democrats over his softened stance on President Trump, but most Pennsylvania swing voters in our latest Engagious/Sago groups view him more favorably.
Why it matters: Despite facing backlash from peers for not toeing the party line, Fetterman's messaging appears to be resonating with some of the voters who could decide the battleground state in 2028.
Driving the news: Eight of 13 Biden-to-Trump swing voters said they'd vote for Fetterman if he runs again in 2028. One was on the fence.
- "He comes across to me as somebody … that would listen to both sides," said Anthony D., a 42-year-old from Lancaster. "That would be helpful [if] more Democrats were like that."
- Tim P., a 49-year-old from Edwardsville, said he's surprised that Fetterman has taken more moderate stances. "I find myself agreeing with him a lot more than I expected."
- Fetterman has "a lot of common sense," said Jim B. Though the 57-year-old voter from Berwick believes the senator sides too often with the left.
How it works: Axios observed two online focus groups last week involving 13 Pennsylvanians who voted for former President Biden in 2020, then Trump in 2024. Eight identified as independents, four as Republicans, and one as a Democrat.
- A focus group is not a statistically significant sample like a poll, but the responses show how some voters are thinking and talking.
State of play: Some of Pennsylvania's top Democrats are angling to run against Fetterman in a 2028 primary, Axios' Holly Otterbein reports.
- Meanwhile, he broke ranks with fellow Dems last week — voting with Republicans on a GOP-led bill that would've paid military and some federal workers amid the government shutdown.
- He also joined Pennsylvania GOP Sen. Dave McCormick in a video, saying their votes were about putting "country over party."
Context: Fetterman, whose performance in office has come under fire, was considered among the most politically left of freshman senators last year, per Govtrack.us' review of legislative behavior.
Zoom in: Focus group participants watched a news clip of Fetterman saying that Democrats' approach to the government shutdown could plunge the "nation into chaos."
- Ten of the voters said they agreed with Fetterman's comments.
Reality check: Some swing voters said they were "split over Sen. Fetterman," complaining that "he's 'inconsistent' in his beliefs," Engagious president Rich Thau, who moderated the focus groups, tells Axios.
- "He swings between far left, middle, far right, and he is kind of always a hot mess," says Emily L., a 39-year-old from Quakertown.
- "I think that any politician should have consistency and not just say what they want to say when it's convenient for them."
Go deeper: Focus groups: Trump swing voters blame both sides for government shutdown