David McCormick Concedes GOP Senate Primary to Dr. Oz

David McCormick conceded the race to Dr. Mehmet Oz, handing the Trump-endorsed television personality the GOP nomination for Pennsylvania Senate race. A lengthy recount process delayed the results of tight primary contest, and the final results had yet to be announced when McCormick shared his decision on Friday.

For much of the campaign, the Pennsylvania GOP primary was centered on Oz and McCormick, with conservative commentator Kathy Barnette surging in polls in the closing days of the race. But Oz and McCormick did end up in a close contest, separated by less than 1,000 votes and well within the state’s margins for a mandatory recount.

“You put your trust in us, your faith in us, and it’s a friendship that we’ll be blessed to have the rest of our lives. And we came so close. We came so close, by the slimmest of margins on election night,” McCormick told supporters Friday evening. “We spent the last 17 days making sure that every Republican vote was counted in a way that would result in the will of Pennsylvania voters to be fulfilled. Because that’s what it’s all about. That’s what this process is all about.”

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The original totals showed Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, leading McCormick by less than 1,000 votes, out of more than 1.3 million votes cast in the seven-person GOP primary, or about 0.1 percentage points. Pennsylvania conducts mandatory recounts when the top two candidates are separated by 0.5 percentage points or less unless the candidates waive that right. McCormick’s campiagn pursued the recount.

Trump last year originally endorsed Sean Parnell for the race, who suspended his campaign after his estranged wife accused him of domestic abuse and a judge awarded her sole legal and primary physical custody of their children. Trump later backed Oz over McCormick when polls indicated it was a two-way race between the two men, arguing McCormick had business interests in China, among other charges. The move surprised some, as McCormick was backed by Trump allies including his advisor Kellyanne Conway. 

In the final days of the race, as McCormick and Oz were locked in a war of words, Barnette began to surge in polls after she released an ad titled “It wasn’t a choice. It was a life,” in which she said her mother was raped when she was just 11 years old and that Barnette is the result of her mother rejecting abortion under those horrific circumstances. The ad seemed to resonate with anti-abortion Republican primary voters, especially as a recent leak from the Supreme Court indicated the court may repeal its Roe v. Wade decision, which legalized abortion nationwide.

But Barnette, who wasn’t considered a frontrunner until the final days of the race, and as such did not undergo the same level of scrutiny as some of her rivals until the race drew to a close. She reportedly attended the rally preceding the Jan. 6 riot at the Capitol, although as of press time there did not appear to be evidence she breached the complex. Among criticism of Barnette was also controversial remarks on Twitter, including tweets some described as Islamophobic. Oz, who if elected would be the country’s first Muslim senator, called the tweets disqualifying.

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Oz faced criticism from some Republicans for his Turkish military background and dual citizenship, and some argued that he was insufficiently conservative or lacked a demonstrable record. He will go on to face Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in November in a race crucial to Republicans’ efforts to win a Senate majority.