LEBANON, Pennsylvania — Pennsylvania’s Senate candidates, Democratic nominee John Fetterman and Republican challenger Dr. Mehmet Oz, made their final pitches to voters on Monday ahead of a closely watched midterm election that could shift the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.
Fetterman, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, had been polling ahead of Oz for several months, but the celebrity heart surgeon-turned-TV host has made up significant ground, and the two are now locked in a statistical dead heat heading into Election Day. Which candidate wins will likely come down to voter turnout.
Fetterman pleaded with his party’s base in Philadelphia, while Oz pivoted, painting himself not as a hardcore MAGA supporter but as a centrist who can work across the aisle.
The race is the most expensive Senate race this year as well as in state history, with more than $200 million funneled in to support the candidates. The marquee matchup drew in three presidents, two former and one current, as well as a host of other famous faces over the weekend, ready to vouch for the nominees.
Oz had two campaign stops Monday, one at Heisey’s Diner in Lebanon and the other in Hazleton.
In Lebanon, voters packed in at the folksy restaurant, standing shoulder to shoulder to get a glimpse of Oz. The political newcomer spoke for less than 10 minutes, but it was enough for those in attendance.
Pastor Larry Douthwaite said Oz has his vote because he’s a man of God.
“He takes more biblical positions towards things than Uncle Festerman,” Douthwaite told the Washington Examiner, poking fun at Fetterman’s name. (Oz is Muslim.)
Oz’s messages on crime, small government, fiscal responsibility, and border issues resonated better with Douthwaite than anything Fetterman has pitched. He also dismissed concerns that Oz is a wealthy outsider who only recently moved to the state and can’t connect with rural Pennsylvanians.
“I want representation that represents my point of view, and I couldn’t care less about anything that Fetterman has been talking about like native Pennsylvanians,” Douthwaite said. “It’s really important what positions you take, not necessarily where you come from. That’s Fetterman trying to push people away from Oz, and it’s not going to work.”
For Dale Bord, Tuesday’s vote comes down to education. Oz has advocated school choice and said Monday that parents should be able to have a say in their child’s education.
“I think Dr. Oz is more educated than Fetterman, and the things he’s done in the past really show that,” he told the Washington Examiner. “He’s pro-life, and I just think he’s the candidate we need.”
His wife, Yvonne Bord, said the election is about change.
“We definitely need change because the way this is going is not good,” she said. “It’s not good for any families. [Oz] is pro-life, is for better education, lower gas prices, and [is in favor] of using resources here. Biden is going the wrong way. We need to make good choices.”
Oz’s campaign has gone into overdrive trying to link Fetterman to President Joe Biden’s unpopular policies.
Similarly, Fetterman has tried to link Oz to former President Donald Trump, who stumped for Oz over the weekend.
Republicans need only one seat to take back the Senate. Having a GOP-controlled upper chamber would derail Biden’s agenda, something voter Tamarra Bullant is betting on.
“We need Republicans in the Senate,” she told the Washington Examiner. “Biden is destroying our country, and if Fetterman wins tomorrow, we’re done. He can’t put a sentence together.”
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Fetterman had a stroke in May. Though he is on the mend, it was serious enough to keep him from in-person campaign events for three months.
