Statewide progressive group that has protested Fetterman calls on him to resign

A statewide progressive group is calling on U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D., Pa.) to resign, the first Democratic group to call for his removal since reports surfaced of concerns about the lawmaker’s mental health and whether he is doing his job representing the state.

Indivisible Pennsylvania, which has protested Fetterman in the past, sent a letter to his office last week accusing him of having “failed to fulfill the most basic duties of office.”

Fetterman has dismissed the reports as inaccurate and said he is in good health and has no plans of stepping aside from his six-year term, which is up in 2028.

His office did not immediately respond to a request for comment about the letter.

» READ MORE: Inside Sen. John Fetterman’s office: canceled meetings, skipped votes and an outburst with Pa. teachers

The letter was signed by eight Indivisible group leaders across the state and followed a poll of 16,000 members, of whom 93% voted to call for his resignation, according to the letter.

“You have been a model to others emphasizing mental health challenges in admitting them and trying to overcome them,” the letter said. “However we also expect sufficient representation of our interests in the Senate, especially when the stakes for our democracy are so high.”

The letter cites Fetterman’s below-average voting attendance record, avoidance of constituents, and refusal to hold town halls. It also notes several votes Fetterman has taken that have angered progressives, including backing President Donald Trump’s nominee for attorney general, Pam Bondi.

The grassroots group, founded in 2017, focuses on progressive issues and in recent months has sparred with Fetterman, holding regular protests outside his Philadelphia office. Still, it’s a striking move for a Democratic organization, which has 91 chapters across Pennsylvania organizing thousands of active, loyal party voters, against someone seen as a leader in the party and the state.

“It’s the most committed of the most active people across the state,” said Vicki Miller, who founded the Philadelphia chapter of the group. “These are people who canvassed for him and did phone banking — that cohort, and it was a landslide.”

Fetterman has denounced recent news reports questioning his fitness for office. His openness to working with the GOP has booted his popularity with Republicans, many of whom have come to his defense and accused Democrats of hypocrisy, claiming they are turning on him because of some of his more conservative positions.

In addition to U.S. Sen. Dave McCormick (R., Pa.), who first defended Fetterman from what he called “disgraceful smears,” several other Republican colleagues accused Democrats of reacting too harshly to reports about Fetterman in retaliation for his willingness to work with the GOP on some issues.

U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas criticized the news reports, claiming the negative attention was due to Fetterman’s staunch support of Israel.

“John Fetterman and I have our differences, but he’s a decent and genuine guy,” Cotton said on X. “The radical left is smearing him with dishonest, vicious attacks because he’s pro-Israel and they only want reliable anti-Israel politicians. Disgraceful.”

Some Democrats have defended Fetterman when asked, while others have reported a distant relationship and avoided the topic.

Miller, of Indivisible, said the letter was the result of months of frustration with Fetterman and lack of access to him, accelerated by recent news reports.

The group reached out to Fetterman’s office seeking a meeting as it debated whether to make the letter public, she said. As of Saturday, the group had received a response that was noncommittal. The group hopes a meeting can still happen.

Miller said it was the first time her group had asked for one of its own party members to step aside.

“We’ve never been this upset with someone before,” she said.

This story has been updated to correctly reflect the number of Indivisible chapters in the state.