Television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz is laying the groundwork to enter the Pennsylvania Senate race as a Republican.
The celebrity physician has begun hiring staff for a campaign but has not yet declared his candidacy.
AFTER SUNUNU DISAPPOINTS REPUBLICANS BY DECLINING SENATE BID, PARTY SEEKS A PLAN B
A spokesperson for The Dr. Oz Show on Tuesday told the Washington Examiner in an emailed statement, “Since last year, Dr. Oz has lived and voted in Pennsylvania where he attended school and has deep family ties. Dr. Oz has received encouragement to run for the U.S. Senate, but is currently focused on our show and has no announcement at this time.”
Word of an Oz run follows a rocky news cycle for Sean Parnell, a Republican Senate candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump. Parnell’s estranged wife accused him of abusive behavior toward her and the couple’s children. She also alleged he told her to undergo an abortion. Parnell denied those allegations in court on Monday. Some Republicans have expressed concern about the allegations, which may sink their chances of holding on to the seat that will be vacated by Sen. Pat Toomey when he retires at the end of his term.
Democrats consider the Pennsylvania Senate seat crucial in their quest to expand the majority they now hold tenuously thanks to Vice President Kamala Harris’s tiebreaking vote in the 50-50 chamber. The Keystone State has been a major electoral battleground in recent years, with Donald Trump winning it in his successful 2016 presidential bid, followed by President Joe Biden clawing it back into the Democratic column four years later.
Oz, 61, has donated to both Democrats and Republicans and is currently registered to vote in New Jersey, where he owns one of his properties, according to public records.
Oz came to national recognition first as a regular guest on Oprah Winfrey’s talk show and went on to host his own program. As a presidential candidate in 2016, Trump appeared on the program to discuss his health rather than release his medical records. Oz has come under scrutiny for remarks about COVID-19 treatments and mitigation strategies, as well as some of the products he promotes on his show. Oz was once grilled by a Senate panel about his promotion of a weight loss pill.
Politico recently reported that Pennsylvania Republicans are encouraging David McCormick, a combat veteran and business executive, to enter the race, amid questions about the viability of the current crop of candidates. Pennsylvania is an important element in Republicans’ 2022 quest to reclaim the majority they lost in January 2021. Biden, a Scranton native, won Pennsylvania in 2020 by less than 2 percentage points.
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Republicans’ efforts to regain a Senate majority took a hit Tuesday when New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu declined to enter the race in the Granite State.
