John Fetterman, the Democrat senator from Pennsylvania, has certainly been one of the biggest enigmas of the modern-day political world. He stands out like a sore thumb in DC for a number of reasons, and not just because he's a large, bald man who dresses like a teenager and has been candid about the fact that he has struggled with his mental health. It's mostly because he's willing to buck many of the narratives pushed by his party, including (and especially) those about Israel.
And, let's face it, Fetterman is mostly shunned by his party for having the audacity to not march in lockstep with them on every single issue. I've seen reports that he often dines alone on Capitol Hill because none of his fellow Democrats want to be seen with him, and political operatives from his side of the spectrum in Pennsylvania are busily preparing to take him down if he decides to run for reelection in 2028.
While his fellow Democrats were busy making spectacles of themselves by boycotting last month's State of the Union address, Fetterman not only showed up – in a jacket and tie, no less – but was happy to be photographed greeting President Trump as he made his way into the House chamber. Being an independent thinker is villainized in today's Democrat Party.
SEE ALSO: Hot Takes: SOTU Features Democrat Sourpusses and Temper Tantrums As Trump Levels Them With Facts
Watch: Democrat Senator Hilariously Own-Goals His Party With Criticism of DOJ Pipe Bomb Case Arrest
In an interesting twist, there may be another John Fetterman-type politician incubating in the formerly free state (commonwealth) of Virginia. His name is Mark Moran and he is challenging incumbent Mark Warner in the Democrat Senate primary in a battle of the "Marks."
Warner, 71, was first elected to the U.S. Senate in 2008 after having said he'd only serve two terms because he didn't want to be a "lifelong politician." He is now running for his fourth term, having become very comfortable indeed in DC. Moran, by contrast, is a 33-year-old newcomer who is apparently not afraid to part ways with Democrats on a very key issue: gerrymandering.
As RedState has been reporting, Virginia Democrats are trying to push through a constitutional amendment that would clear the way for them to adopt a congressional map that flips the state from a 6D-5R makeup to a 10D-1R one. And Mark Moran is not okay with that, and is urging Virginians to vote against the plan.
I’m going to say this despite what it will do to me politically - I think the Virginia redistricting is extremely anti-democratic and that it is a reactionary policy to Donald Trump that was created by DC consultants…
— Mark Moran for U.S. Senate (@itsmarkmoran) March 23, 2026
In 2020, 66% of Virginians voted for bipartisan maps…the…
I’m going to say this despite what it will do to me politically - I think the Virginia redistricting is extremely anti-democratic and that it is a reactionary policy to Donald Trump that was created by DC consultants…
In 2020, 66% of Virginians voted for bipartisan maps…the new maps slice up Arlington and take away the voice of everyone outside of northern Virginia…
In every local democratic committee I’ve been in, when this issue comes up, nobody can defend it, it’s just “well this is what the party says is best.”
NO. The Democratic Party loses because of reactionary maneuvers and because it doesn’t have a big bold vision for the future.
They say it’s “temporary” but FOUR years of gerrymandering isn’t “temporary” and because I value our constitutional republic over all else…
I’ll be voting NO and I encourage everyone else to, but I can’t hold my tongue any longer despite what this will do to me with the Dems in Virginia
For standing athwart his party on the issue of gerrymandering, Moran has been rewarded with castigation by his fellow Democrats. "These words clearly demonstrate someone who doesn’t understand the moment or the stakes — a disqualifier for the US Senate," wrote former Richmond mayor Levar Stoney. "If you oppose Democrats standing up to Trump, you’re in the wrong primary."
And that's how it goes for the Fettermans and Morans of today's Democrat Party – they are not welcome. Lemmings only, thankyouverymuch.
Moran seems undaunted and has targeted Warner for becoming extremely wealthy during his time in the Senate.
My opponent, Mark Warner, is 71 and the wealthiest Senator who has taken millions from Wall Street, corporate PACs, and the exact monopolies we need to rein in. He is a product of the system.I am running to dismantle it.
I refuse to accept corporate PAC money. I refuse to be bought. I am running a 100% grassroots campaign to pass the XXVIIIth Amendment, get dark money out of politics, and finally force Washington to work for everyday Virginians.
Like John Fetterman, Mark Moran is not to be confused with a conservative. He wants to abolish ICE and thinks healthcare is a right. And he's unlikely to defeat the deeply entrenched Warner in the primary, but at least he seems to be willing to color outside the lines on occasion, which is refreshing.
All of this makes me think of a cartoon meme I saw recently that showed a man and a woman driving in a car. The woman asks the man, "Why are you so far right politically?" To which the man responds, "I'm just a normal person from 1995." Although I, personally, am both, I appreciate the point: Democrats have gone so far off the rails that merely sounding sane, principled, or even mildly independent now gets you treated like a heretic.
