It took just days after Democrats’ resounding victory in the midterm elections for a challenger to Donald Trump’s “favorite Democrat”—Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman—to emerge.
asserted
challenger → take → elections
Ahmed Moor, a Philadelphia foreign policy analyst and writer, is the first candidate to announce his entry into what will likely be a crowded primary field.
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what → announce → entry
The 42-year-old Moor was born in Gaza, and has lost family in Israel’s genocide—most recently a 19-year-old cousin killed by an Israeli sniper in Rafah.
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Moor → bear → Rafah
That history alone puts Moor at odds with Fetterman, who has become one of the most stridently pro-Israel voices in Congress and has threatened to leave the Democratic Party if it moves against Israel.
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it → put → Israel
But without his swing vote, Moor said, Fetterman will be “irrelevant”—and with only 13 percent of Pennsylvania Democrats reporting a favorable opinion of him in an October Quinnipiac poll, exceptionally vulnerable to a primary challenge.
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percent → say → challenge
Moor is not alone in eyeing Fetterman’s seat: state legislators Chris Deluzio and Malcolm Kenyatta are both reportedly likely challengers.
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Deluzio → eye → seat
Former Pennsylvania House Rep. Conor Lamb, who lost a primary to Fetterman in 2022, has also been floated as a candidate, but has so far denied any plans to run.
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who → lose → plans
For now, Moor has a head start on pitching what he calls his “dignity agenda”— Medicare for All, an end to the US war on Iran, universal childcare, and a billionaire wealth tax—to the people of Pennsylvania.
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he → have → Pennsylvania
I spoke with Moor via Zoom the day after he launched his campaign.
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he → speak → campaign
We discussed data centers, his plans to impose sanctions on Israel if elected, and his ongoing lawsuit against the State Department.
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We → discuss → Department
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
So, you’re new to politics—who exactly am I speaking with today?
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I → condense → who
I’m a Palestinian American writer, formerly a journalist.
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I → ’m → ?
I worked in financial services in the past as well.
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I → work → past
And I’m a foreign policy guy.
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I → ’m → ?
I just finished up a fellowship at the Foundation for Middle East Peace.
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I → finish → Peace
I’m running for US Senate here in Pennsylvania, targeting the seat that John Fetterman currently holds.
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Fetterman → run → that
It would be untruthful to say that I didn’t come to this decision through genocide.
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I → say → genocide
I was born in Palestine, I was born in Gaza, and I have family there today.
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I → bear → family
But genocide doesn’t happen overnight.
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genocide → happen → ?
Genocide is just the worst manifestation of what it means for our public policy to be captured by special interests, in this case by the Israel lobby.
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policy → mean → lobby
I think you can broaden that analysis and say that generally we suffer from a deficit of democratic governance in America. That all of our public policy has been captured by special interests.
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all → think → interests
And you see that in the way that data centers have sprung up across our landscape in Pennsylvania.
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centers → see → Pennsylvania
You see that in the way that AI has begun to intrude into our daily lives unbidden.
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AI → see → lives
We didn’t have a conversation about this.
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We → have → this
We’re being told today that the equivalent of 9 percent of GDP is being spent on the AI buildout and it’s going to cause massive job losses.
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it → tell → losses
Well, let’s have that conversation.
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’s → let → conversation
I don’t think it’s a good idea—but I’m insisting that we need to have a conversation about it.
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we → think → it
So that’s who I am, that’s why I’m running.
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I → ’ → ?
Look, Fetterman’s story’s over.
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story → look → ?
I’m not really running against Fetterman.
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I → run → Fetterman
No matter what happens in 2028, that man is irrelevant.
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man → happen → 2028
I’m running for the future.
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I → run → future
I’ve got three young girls.
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I → get → girls
The idea that my kids’ decision set—that in the future, their rights will be more circumscribed than the rights I have, that their mother has—that’s intolerable to me.
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that → set → me
makes me angry, and I’m unwilling to accept that.
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I → make → that
Thomas Jefferson wrote the words of life liberty and the pursuit of happiness just a few miles away from where I’m sitting now.
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I → write → happiness
The idea that people have liberty without having access to everything they need to live a dignified life—I don’t believe that.
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I → have → that
I think there’s no liberty in poverty.
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I → think → poverty
You’ve spoken about a “dignity agenda.”
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You → speak → agenda
What does that mean in practice?
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that → mean → practice
…and 96 more, not listed.
The Aporia
