Oz and Fetterman: Pennsylvania Senate Race Tight Despite Differences

Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race is one of the most watched in the country. The open seat, being vacated by Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, is pivotal to the Senate’s balance of power. It has not been held by an elected Democrat since 1969, although longtime Republican Sen. Arlen Specter switched to Democrat in 2009 while in office. Specter served from 1981 to 2011, when Toomey was elected.

The Senate currently has 50 Republicans, 48 Democrats, and two independents who caucus with the Democrats.

Now, with no incumbent advantage in Pennsylvania, Democrats see potential to flip the seat’s power. Their candidate, John Fetterman has consistently had a slight lead in the polls. Fetterman had a comfortable lead in the primary.

Republicans hope to gain power in the Senate by holding on to Pennsylvania with candidate Mehmet Oz and flipping seats in other states. Oz had a tougher primary and Republicans who supported other candidates are still working up their enthusiasm for him.

Candidates Differ Greatly

The candidates are vastly different says political analyst Terry Madonna, senior fellow in residence for political affairs at Millersville University in Pennsylvania.

“Different personalities. Different styles the whole way. I mean, it’s rare to find those kinds of huge differences,” Madonna told The Epoch Times.

Yet, the polling is close. “I’ve not seen a single poll that shows a double-digit lead for either,” Madonna said.

John Fetterman fills out his emergency absentee ballot for the Pennsylvania primary election in Penn Medicine Lancaster General Hospital in Lancaster, Pa., on May, 17, 2022. (Bobby Maggio via AP)

Oz is a heart surgeon and television personality, Fetterman is the former mayor of Braddock, Penn. and the current lieutenant governor, who has worked alongside Gov. Tom Wolf for the last four years.

Oz wears suits and has a tidy haircut; Fetterman shaves

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