Maverick Democrat surges with Republicans as his own party turns on him, stoking talk of GOP switch

Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, a centrist Democrat known for bashing his party’s left flank, is more popular among Keystone State Republicans than their own GOP senator, Sen. Dave McCormick, according to a new poll.

The release of the poll this week by the New York Times, Philadelphia Inquirer and Siena University is further evidence that Fetterman, who at times breaks with his party and aligns with President Donald Trump, and who is a frequent guest on the Fox News Channel, has become increasingly popular among Republicans.

The survey may boost speculation that the first-term senator could potentially bolt the Democrats and become a Republican. But Fetterman has denied that he plans to leave the Democratic Party.

Nearly 3 in 4 Republican registered voters in Pennsylvania (73%) held a favorable opinion of Fetterman, according to the poll. That’s 10 points higher than the 63% of Republicans in the state who viewed McCormick favorably.

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The 73% of Republicans who view Fetterman favorably is a major increase from the 25% who said the same thing in 2024, two years after the senator was elected.

But Fetterman’s standing among Democrats continued to sink, according to the poll.

Just 22% of registered Democrats in Pennsylvania said they had a favorable view of Fetterman, while 63% viewed him unfavorably. That’s a dramatic reversal from two years ago, when 74% of Democrats viewed Fetterman favorably.

The survey also indicated that by a 49%-35% margin, independents held a favorable view of Fetterman.

Matt Beynon, a veteran Pennsylvania-based Republican consultant, told Fox News Digital, “I think a lot of Republicans appreciate the fact that Sen. Fetterman is willing to stick his thumb in the radical wing of his party’s eye on issues like antisemitism.”

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Fetterman’s growing popularity among Republicans has fueled speculation that he leave the Democratic Party before potentially facing a primary challenge when he’s up for re-election in 2028.

The senator, who is a strong supporter of Israel, has increasingly railed against fellow Democrats who have criticized Israeli leaders over their ongoing war against Hamas in Gaza. Fetterman has said he has “no plans” to leave the Democratic Party. But he added if Democrats officially became the “anti-Israel party,” count him out.

“My long-term concern has been with the Democratic Party, as I am a member of that, is that our party is going to back away and turn their back to Israel,” he said last month at a Hill Nation Summit in Washington, D.C.

“If our party ever becomes, and just makes it official, the anti-Israel party, that’s when I would leave because that’s been a moral clarity for me.”

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and other Senate Republicans have reached out to Fetterman regarding a party switch.

“I have had conversations with him in the past, as have many of my colleagues about the challenges he faces in his caucus. And there are many of us who, I think, would welcome the opportunity to have him join the Republican conference, but ultimately that’s a decision that’s up to him,” Thune told reporters in July.

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But Beynon said that regardless of Fetterman’s growing popularity among Republicans, “when it comes time for the senator’s re-election campaign in 2028, those same voters will be reminded that John Fetterman votes with Democrats more than 90% of the time.”

Fox News Digital reached out to the senator’s office for comment regarding the new poll, but did not receive a response at the time this story was published.