John Fetterman pledges $100,000 to Pa. Democratic Party as Dems prepare for 2026 governor’s race
The donation will significantly increase the state party’s cash.
Sen. John Fetterman said Friday he will donate $100,000 to the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, a figure that would nearly double the party’s most recently reported cash on hand.
The state party reported about $62,000 in its federal fundraising account in July — which is significantly less than other swing state parties — as well as $40,000 in its state committee account.
Fetterman did not initially specify whether the $100,000 will go to the state or federal fund, but a representative from his office said the donation would go to the state account, which can be used for the gubernatorial and state legislative races, while federal funds are spent on congressional races.
Fetterman’s public donation pledge comes as the 2026 governor’s race gets underway with Republican Treasurer Stacy Garrity already campaigning against Democratic Gov. Josh Shapiro, and Democrats are hoping to use the recent SEPTA cuts to gain control of the state Senate.
Fetterman pledged his support for Eugene DePasquale as the next state party chair, joining other prominent Democrats like Sen. Sharif Street, the current party chair, and Philadelphia Committee chair Bob Brady, who said Shapiro also backs DePasquale.
“Eugene will play an important role in organizing and supporting our local parties in all 67 counties — and the dude can,“ Fetterman said in a post on X. ”I’m truly inspired + excited for Eugene’s leadership."
DePasquale, Pennsylvania’s former auditor general and a former state representative, lost his bid for attorney general last year but argues that his experience in office and on the campaign trail can help him rebuild the state party.
The Pittsburgh-based attorney, who is largely expected to be elected chair on Saturday after Sharif announced he will step down to run for Congress, said in an interview that fundraising for the party is “priority No. 1.″
“Because, look, if you don’t have money, you can’t do any of this,” he said. “But one thing that people know of is I’m not afraid to ask.”
He also said he knows Fetterman “well” and that they “have had very honest discussions about what we’ve got to do to be better” as a party.