Dr. Oz wins Republican Pennsylvania Senate primary

(WHTM) — Celebrity television doctor Mehmet Oz has won the Pennsylvania Senate Primary election after Dave McCormick conceded on June 3.

McCormick said on Friday “we came so close” and that he called Oz to congratulate him on winning the race and that Oz has his full support.

Oz tweeted Friday night that he is “tremendously grateful for (McCormick’s) pledge of support in the fall election. We share the goal of a brighter future for Pennsylvania & America.”

“Now that our primary is over, we will make sure that this U.S. Senate seat does not fall into the hands of the radical left, led by John Fetterman. I look forward to campaigning in every corner of the Commonwealth for the next five months to earn the support of every Pennsylvanian.”

Oz will face Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman in the November general election after the AP projected Fetterman’s win on election night. Oz had declared victory ahead of the recount and McCormick’s concession.

Once the host of “The Dr. Oz Show” and attending physician at NY Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center, candidate Mehmet Oz announced his candidacy in December 2021. Since then, he has been a front runner in the Republican field ahead of the May 17 primary election.

In a poll conducted after Trump’s endorsement, which was conducted by The Trafalgar Group, Oz led the Senate candidates, receiving 22.7% of the 1,074 likely Republican Primary voters with McCormick tailing behind him. Oz also led in a Franklin & Marshall poll, which was almost done with data gathering when Trump announced his endorsement. Oz received 16% of voter support.

According to Q1 financial filings with the Federal Election Commission, Oz also leads the Republican candidates with the most amount raised in the first three months of 2022. He received $2,375,164.64 in the first quarter and has received $13,431,080.20 since the start of his campaign.

While he is not the only multimillionaire in the Republican primary field, Oz did report that he amassed assets worth more than $100 million, including homes, stock, life insurance, and connections to his in-laws’ tree-trimming empire. His filing was a part of a financial disclosure form required of all candidates for Senate.

In the media, Oz has faced scrutiny for not residing in Pennsylvania. He currently resides in New Jersey. He has also faced criticism from a key rival in the race for his Turkish citizenship, which he says he will renounce before being sworn into Senate if he wins.

On his campaign website, Oz says, if elected, he will reverse Biden’s failed agenda, incorporate financial literacy from an early age into education criteria, secure the border to stop “ghost flights” or flights with “illegal immigrants,” from entering Pennsylvania airports, and support the Second Amendment.