Dr. Oz leads GOP's Pennsylvania Senate primary
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As Dave McCormick cedes his seat to Mehmet Oz, the TV celebrity becomes the GOP's candidate for Pennsylvania's Senate primary with the support of Former President Donald Trump.
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Dr. Oz at his primary election night (AP)
Former Under Secretary of the US Treasury for International Affairs, Dave McCormick, declared on Friday evening, at a campaign event, that he conceded Pennsylvania's Republican Senate primary to Mehmet Oz, known professionally as Dr. Oz has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump.
Oz is now set to face Democratic lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, who has been recovering from a stroke earlier in May, in the November elections. Oz aims to succeed retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in a contest that is expected to be one of the nation's most-watched battles for control of a Senate now split equally between the two parties.
"Dr. Oz" has been a celebrity for decades and will no doubt, once again, play this role without hesitation. The Turkish-American television personality was originally known for his role as a health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show for five seasons. He later became on shows that also featured Dr. Phill and Suze Orman. The latest hit for Oz was in 2021 when he guest-hosted the trivia television game show Jeopardy! for two weeks. Now running for GOP’s Pennsylvania Senate primary, Dr. Oz has been not only endorsed by Trump but also given the Republican seat willingly by a former Under Secretary of the US Treasury for International Affairs.
The endorsement of Trump, who has been the biggest factor in prior Senate primaries to replace retiring Republicans, catapulted Oz in the final weeks of the wide-open primary. Thanks to the former President's support, J.D. Vance, a venture capitalist, won in Ohio, and Ted Budd, a US Representative, easily won in North Carolina.
Similar to Ohio, the Pennsylvania contest showed schisms within the Republican Party, with Trump favoring a candidate who was considered more moderate than the other candidates. Furthermore, Oz overcame attacks over his Turkish citizenship and service in the Turkish military as well as his decision on the reversal of abortion rights.
