What Is John Fetterman Doing? | First Draft with Susan Demas and Sean Kitchen

• Supreme Court retention fights revealed how billionaire influence collided with voter backlash.

• John Fetterman’s ideological drift is reshaping intraparty battles heading into 2028.

• Josh Shapiro’s national ambitions sit at the intersection of Democratic divides and state-level momentum.

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Lincoln Square Editor Susan J. Demas talked with Sean Kitchen, political correspondent for The Keystone, about the latest in Pennsylvania politics. It’s no longer the cautious, evenly split battleground people assume but a state where suburban realignment, judicial power plays, and voter fatigue with extremism are converging into something more volatile. Sean gave his read on the election returns this month where counties flipped and Democrats retained seats on the Supreme Court, which will likely give fair maps a shot after the 2030 redistricting process.

And then there’s U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-Pa.), who was elected as a great progressive hope but has disappointed so many in the party. Sean has reported that he’s likely to face a progressive primary challenge in 2028 — if he runs. Democrat Josh Shapiro, by contrast, looks like the steady bet: a governor whose competence politics, infrastructure wins, and careful positioning put him on a glide path toward a presidential run, even as debates over Israel, affordability, and populism complicate the road ahead.

Tune in for a sharp, grounded look at the state most likely to decide America’s political future. And check out more of Sean’s work here.

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