PA Lt. Gov. John Fetterman launches 2022 Senate bid in an appeal to voters who 'feel left behind'

• Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has formally entered the state's 2022 Senate race.
• Fetterman is well-known for his blunt talk, progressive views, and blue-collar appeal.
• The seat is being vacated by two-term GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Democratic Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman on Monday formally announced that he would run for the US Senate in 2022, pledging to fight for voters across the state who "feel left behind."

The seat will be vacated by two-term GOP Sen. Pat Toomey, who is retiring after the 2022 midterm elections, in what will be one of the most competitive races in the country.

Fetterman, a former mayor of the small Western Pennsylvania borough of Braddock, has become well-known beyond the Keystone State for his blunt talk, progressive views, and blue-collar appeal.

In his announcement video, Fetterman reflected on his desire to fight for citizens in economically-devastated localities across the state.

"There's a lot of great towns in Pennsylvania that … feel like their best days were generations ago or more," he said. "Nobody deserves to be abandoned. These communities deserve to be helped."

Fetterman speaks fondly of Braddock, the former industrial mecca where he served as mayor from 2005 to 2019 before joining Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf in the state's executive branch.

"The things that I learned in Braddock is that every place matters," he said. "No place deserves to be written off. These places across Pennsylvania feel left behind. They don't feel part of the conversation. That's why Donald Trump went to these small counties and held these big rallies. We cannot afford to take any vote for granted. We cannot afford to take any place for granted."

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He added: "Talk is cheap, but for the last 20 years, I have been working to represent, rebuild and to advance these places."

Since informing the Philadelphia Inquirer that he was exploring a run last month, Fetterman has already raised nearly $1.5 million.

With the Senate currently split between 50 Democrats and 50 Republicans and Vice President Kamala Harris's tiebreaking ability giving the narrowest of majorities to the Democrats, the Pennsylvania race will almost certainly attract heavy spending from both parties and outside groups.

While Fetterman is the most prominent Democratic candidate in the race at the moment, other potential candidates include Reps. Conor Lamb, Chrissy Houlahan, and Brendan Boyle, as well as state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

Fetterman, for his part, is forging a message of unity in a state where former President Donald Trump was able to peel off a lot of disaffected Democrats and ramp up conservative turnout.

"I'm going to fight not for one part of Pennsylvania, not for one party of Pennsylvania, but for one Pennsylvania," he emphasized in his announcement. "Just the way I did as mayor, just the way I'm doing as lieutenant governor, and just the way I would as your next US senator."