Dr. Oz Declares ‘Presumptive’ Victory In Pennsylvania Senate Contest As Recount Begins

Topline

Trump-endorsed former television personality Dr. Mehmet Oz released a video Friday calling himself the “presumptive” Republican nominee for Pennsylvania’s open Senate seat—an eyebrow-raising claim given that the state is only just beginning a recount for one of the most hotly contested midterm primary contests.

Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Oz (R) speaks in a rainstorm at a campaign rally.

Gene J. Puskar/ASSOCIATED PRESS

Key Facts

Oz posted a 0ne-minute, 16-second video on YouTube expressing his “deep thanks to the great people of Pennsylvania” and urging unity.

According to unofficial results from the Pennsylvania Department of State, Oz held a lead of under 1,000 votes over former hedge fund CEO David McCormick heading into the recount—a margin of less than 0.1% of the more than 1.3 million total votes.

Trump has blasted the sluggish pace of vote counting and has called on Oz to declare victory since the day after the May 17 primary.

Crucial Quote

“I am blessed to have earned the presumptive Republican nomination for the United States Senate,” Oz said. “This was a tough campaign.”

Key Background

The Pennsylvania GOP Senate contest was widely considered one of the biggest tests of former President Donald Trump’s endorsement power in the midterms, as his longtime status as a GOP kingmaker has fallen into serious doubt. Georgia voters widely rebuked Trump’s preferred candidates in Tuesday’s elections there, headlined by Governor Brian Kemp walloping Trump-backed former Senator David Perdue by more than 50 percentage points in the GOP gubernatorial primary. Trump-endorsed candidates for governor of Nebraska and Idaho have also lost in recent weeks, while Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) lost renomination for his House seat in perhaps the biggest upset of the cycle so far, despite having Trump’s support. Trump-backed candidates did win races like the Pennsylvania Republican gubernatorial primary and Ohio GOP Senate primary, and Trump touts a highly successful midterm endorsement record, claiming a win percentage above 90%. But many of those victories have come in relatively low-profile, noncompetitive House races.

Surprising Fact

Trump chose to ride with Oz despite many of the former president’s supporters expressing skepticism of the candidate. Oz faced immense criticism from his opponents over his tenuous connections to the state—he spent decades living in New Jersey and only registered to vote in Pennsylvania last year—while attack ads called the longtime Dr. Oz Show host a “Hollywood liberal.” Trump went on the offensive to bash Oz’s opponents, labeling McCormick, a former hedge fund manager, a “liberal Wall Street Republican.”

What To Watch For

Whoever ultimately wins the GOP primary will face Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D) in the November general election.