Ahmed Moor, a Gaza-born Palestinian-American writer from Philadelphia, has become the first Democrat to enter the 2028 primary for Pennsylvania's US Senate seat, launching a challenge to incumbent Senator John Fetterman. Moor, 42, announced his candidacy on Monday 9 November through an interview with The Philadelphia Inquirer, a campaign website and a post on X, and has filed with the Federal Election Commission.

Moor, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America who was born in Rafah in southern Gaza and moved to Pennsylvania as a child, has never held or run for public office. He told the Inquirer he was inspired by recent wins for candidates he sees as aligned with him, including New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Michigan Senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed.

A campaign built on a 'dignity agenda'

Moor is running on what his campaign calls a "dignity agenda": free healthcare, free childcare and affordable housing. On foreign policy he wants an end to US military aid to Israel and sanctions modelled on the 1986 law that targeted apartheid South Africa, until Palestinians have equal rights.

He has framed the bid as a broader push for systemic change rather than a personal contest. "The truth is, I'm not really running against Fetterman," he told the Inquirer. "I'm running for good government." His campaign says he plans to visit all 67 Pennsylvania counties, and he has hired Rasha Mubarak, who previously worked on campaigns for Representative Rashida Tlaib and former Representative Cori Bush, as finance director.

Fetterman has not said if he will run again

Fetterman, who took office in January 2023 after winning in 2022, has not said whether he will seek a second term. His seat is next up for election in November 2028 and his term ends in January 2029. The senator has angered many in his own party by increasingly siding with Republicans, and polling this year has shown only about two in ten registered Pennsylvania Democrats viewing him favourably.

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro has said he expects a "robust primary challenge" should Fetterman seek a second term. Other names floated as possible challengers include Representative Chris Deluzio, who has said he has given "serious thought" to running, and state legislator Malcolm Kenyatta.

An early test of Democratic divisions

Moor's early entry sets up what is expected to be a competitive Democratic primary, and a flashpoint between the party's progressive and pro-Israel wings, less than a week after Democrats won control of both chambers of Congress in the 3 November midterm elections. With Fetterman yet to declare his plans, Moor is for now the only declared candidate for the seat.