Exclusive: Deluzio's new, populist pitch for Democrats

Driving the news: Deluzio released a digital ad Wednesday morning, first shared with Axios, that criticizes the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for helping "corporate jagoffs" and "corrupt, rich a**holes" over working-class Americans.

• "This law is taking an axe to projects that would have put a lot of hard-working Americans to work," Deluzio says in the ad, claiming the GOP spending package eliminated 1.75 million construction jobs.

What they're saying: Democrats across the nation are campaigning against Republicans and their spending package, but Deluzio wants Democrats to get behind a message of rejecting corporate campaign contributions, taking on monopolies, banning congressional stock trading, and positioning Republicans as responsible for cost-of-living increases.

• "We need more Democrats to get on board with our plan that takes the boot off the neck of the American people. We need life to be made easier, not harder for folks."

Context: Deluzio was elected to his second term last year, winning his battleground, Pittsburgh-area seat by nearly 8 percentage points, overperforming Kamala Harris there by about 7 points.

The other side: Republican Sen. Dave McCormick has defended the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, saying that it holds off coming tax increases due to expiring tax rules, funds defense and border walls and eliminates waste and fraud in Medicaid.

The bottom line: Democrats have been hungry for fighters after a poor showing in 2024, and Deluzio is hoping to jump into that role, with a populist message he believes can turn the party around.