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Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are going through off for US Senate in Pennsylvania.
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Fetterman is the state’s lieutenant governor and Oz is a star physician and first-time candidate.
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Pennsylvania is a battleground state that Biden received by 1.2 proportion factors in 2020.
Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz are going through off for an open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania.
Polls are closed.
Counting votes will take longer than anticipated. Philadelphia metropolis commissioners just lately selected a measure that may delay vote counting for the town of 1.57 million. Voting was prolonged till 10 p.m. in Luzerne County, two hours later than polls in the remainder of the state closed, after the county had points with ballots.
Pennsylvania US Senate candidates
Fetterman and Oz are vying to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey in a battleground race essential to each events’ fortunes within the US Senate — and a seat Democrats are aiming to flip again from Republican management.
Fetterman has served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor since 2018 and was beforehand the mayor of Braddock, a borough within the western a part of the state. Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, rose to prominence as a star physician due to publicity from Oprah Winfrey, and is finest identified for his work on tv internet hosting the “Dr. Oz Present.”
Fetterman, a progressive, is centering his marketing campaign round being a dependable 51st vote for Democratic priorities within the Senate. Like many Democrats working nationwide, he is closely advocated for enshrining abortion rights into federal regulation after the Supreme Courtroom overturned Roe v. Wade in June. He additionally helps altering the present filibuster guidelines to ease the passage of Democratic-led laws and strongly helps marijuana legalization, even pushing President Joe Biden to decriminalize marijuana.
Fetterman’s marketing campaign has additionally slammed Oz on social media for dwelling in New Jersey for a lot of his grownup life and profession.
In the meantime, Oz has hammered Fetterman for his coverage positions and sought to tie him to Biden’s low public approval rankings. Oz, similiar to many Republicans, has targeted his platform on points just like the economic system and crime.
Fetterman’s well being has additionally been a main focus of the race because the candidate recovers from a stroke he had in Could. Oz’s marketing campaign has pressured Fetterman, who has had auditory processing difficulties, to launch extra medical info about his situation. Fetterman launched a latest physician’s notice that mentioned the candidate “is recovering effectively from his stroke and his well being has continued to enhance.”
Voting historical past in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania is a aggressive swing state that backed former President Donald Trump by 1.2 proportion factors within the 2016 presidential election earlier than flipping to help Biden by 1.2 proportion factors within the 2020 election.
Within the Senate, incumbent Democratic Sen. Bob Casey defeated his GOP opponent Lou Barletta by 13 proportion factors in 2018, a Democratic wave 12 months. Toomey, in the meantime, defeated his last Democratic opponent, Katie McGinty, by simply 1.5 proportion factors in 2016.
The cash race
This race will definitely stand as one of the crucial costly 2022 midterm races within the nation.
In accordance with OpenSecrets, Fetterman has raised $56.7 million, spent about $52.1 million, and has about $4.5 million in money available, as of October 19. Oz has raised $40.4 million, spent $37.7 million, and has $2.6 million in money available, as of October 19. Oz personally accounts for almost all of the cash his marketing campaign has raised.
In the meantime, tremendous PACs, nationwide occasion committees, politically lively nonprofits, and different non-candidate teams have mixed to spend greater than $240 million within the race as of November 7, together with the primaries.
What consultants say
The race between Fetterman and Oz is rated as a “toss-up” by Inside Elections and The Prepare dinner Political Report and “leans Democratic” by Sabato’s Crystal Ball on the College of Virginia Heart for Politics.
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