Op-Ed: Become a Republican? I’d be terrible.

The Washington Post

By: John Fetterman

Many might not know, but I won my first race by a single vote to be mayor of Braddock, a small steel town - one of the poorest in our commonwealth -- where 90 percent of the population left. It was a forgotten community.

I wasn't interested in playing political games. I wanted to help deliver change. It wasn't about being a Democrat or Republican, but about making sure places like Braddock received the benefits, focus and investments they deserved for their contributions to this great country.

As a U.S. senator, I still believe in that principle. It doesn't matter if my colleague is in my party or across the aisle. My focus remains on working together to find wins and deliver for my constituents. And though I was elected as a Democrat, I'm proud to serve all Pennsylvanians, not just Democrats.

It has become increasingly lonely to serve in that way, but I firmly believe it's what is needed.

My party cannot simply be the opposite of whatever President Donald Trump says. The president could come out for ice cream and lazy Sundays, and my party would suddenly hate them. Such pointless pile-ons and attacks are unproductive. The American people want us to work together to find solutions on issues they and our country face.

It wasn't long ago when Democrats wanted a secure border. I voted on an immigration bill in 2024 to make sure an influx the size of Pittsburgh doesn't come through the border like it did under the previous administration. I have co-sponsored legislation to stop the flow of fentanyl. I was the lead Democrat on the Laken Riley Act, and I strongly believe that someone who comes here illegally and commits a violent crime should be deported. Full stop.

It wasn't long ago when Democrats believed shutting our government down was wrong and put American livelihoods at risk. I consistently voted to end back-to-back government shutdowns because our Transportation Security Administration agents, our homeland security, our airports and everyday Americans were hurting and should have never been held hostage. I took no pleasure in voting against my party. While the base targeted me for putting the country first, the demand to keep the lights on weighed more heavily than partisan games.

It wasn't long ago when we believed it was crucial to support allies such as Israel against threats to their safety and peace. In the wake of the war in Gaza, Iran-backed Hamas and Hezbollah have ramped up their attempts to dismantle our ally. I remained committed to fully backing the elimination of these terrorists and their leaders. My party's recent presidential candidates identified Iran as a significant global threat, one that shouldn't be able to acquire a nuclear weapon. They emphasized a view I still hold: that the leading state sponsor of terror should be held to account. I appreciate that this administration acted on the threat Iran and its proxies pose.

These once-common views have become increasingly toxic in the Democratic Party, a result of catering to the fringe and agitated parts of our base. The party is fractured by their demands, heightened after the Gaza war and even more after Trump was elected in 2024. Numerous protesters have followed me around D.C. or shown up at my Braddock home to tell me I'm a traitor simply for voting my conscience, unapologetically standing with Israel and the global Jewish community, keeping our government open and our workers paid, securing our border - stances that were not unusual. My values have not changed, and I have always turned to those kinds of ideals that defined being a Democrat. I remain strongly pro-choice, pro-weed, pro-LGBT, pro-SNAP, pro-labor and even pro-rib-eye over bio slop.

I refuse to cave on my conscience because Pennsylvania deserves someone who is honest and can work across the aisle.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy and I worked together to unfreeze $1 billion in federal funding for transportation projects across Pennsylvania. Sen. Dave McCormick (R-Pennsylvania) and I have delivered hundreds of millions of federal dollars to our state for vital projects that improve the lives of our 13 million constituents, including $600 million to repair the Delaware River Bridge and to improve the Pennsylvania Turnpike. Sen. Jim Justice (R-West Virginia) and I introduced the Hot Rotisserie Chicken Act to allow SNAP recipients to use their benefits to buy hot rotisserie chicken. Sen. Katie Britt (R-Alabama) and I have worked together to protect the mental health of our kids with our Stop the Scroll Act. Sen. Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyoming) and I have taken Pennsylvania's wildly successful Whole-Home Repairs program and introduced a bill to bring it to the national level to keep Americans in their homes.

Being an independent voice that works with the other side to deliver for Pennsylvanians might put me at odds with the party that I have stayed committed to and have no plans to leave -- but I will continue to put the commonwealth and the country first.

Plus, I'd be a terrible Republican who still votes overwhelmingly with Democrats.