As far as the Senate election is concerned, Pennsylvania is a so-called flip state, i.e. a state in which a change has taken place. Even beforehand, the two candidates looked as if they had switched roles: Former mayor and Democratic candidate John Fetterman, with his shaggy goatee, tattooed forearms and oversized hoodies, is reminiscent of the Republican supporters who lived in the United States January 2021 attempted to storm the US Capitol.
He ran against TV doctor Mehmet Oz, the child of Turkish immigrants with dual citizenship and degrees from Harvard and the equally prestigious University of Pennsylvania – a resume that would also suit a Democratic candidate well.
Both were running to succeed Republican Senator Patrick Toomey, and by 1:30 a.m. local time it was clear that Democrat Fetterman had won the election by several percentage points.
This is a small sensation, because it means that a new seat in the Senate will go to the Democrats – the forecast was more for gains for the Republicans. Most recently, the 100 Senate seats were split exactly half between Democrats and Republicans, with Vice President Kamala Harris winning the casting vote, giving the Democrats a virtually razor-thin majority. It could be that instead of losing them to the Republicans, they have now been able to consolidate them even more.
Republican candidate and TV doctor Mehmet Oz has lost the neck-and-neck race.
(Photo: Matt Rourke/AP)
The election campaign and forecasts in Pennsylvania had recently predicted a head-to-head race between the two candidates. Fetterman was still clearly leading in the polls in September, but Oz had recently caught up a lot. This is another reason why US President Joe Biden and ex-President Barack Obama came to Pennsylvania specifically to support Fetterman during the election campaign.
One candidate suffered a stroke, the other attracted attention with questionable Covid 19 recommendations
The race between the two had gotten a bit dirty in the run-up when Oz Fetterman denied his suitability for the office because of a stroke he had suffered. Conversely, Fetterman’s campaign accused Oz of not even living in Pennsylvania until 2020, but living in New Jersey.
Because of the special backgrounds of the two, medicine was a big topic in the election campaign. Oz attracted attention during the corona pandemic with questionable recommendations on how to deal with Covid-19, which brought him the attention of Donald Trump, among others.
He had previously been accused of unscientific and false claims for advertising an alleged diet pill and other unsubstantiated statements in his television show. Fetterman, on the other hand, said the night after his victory was announced that because of his own history he wanted to advocate for access to medical care as a fundamental right. He also wants to protect the right to abortion.
Fetterman’s victory over Oz is remarkable because, despite some wild statements, Oz in many respects represents moderate Republican positions or even those that one would rather attribute to the Democrats. The fact that Fetterman was still able to assert himself against the favored Republican can also be understood as a signal that many voters in Pennsylvania want American politics to be democratic in principle – even if the position of the Republican candidate might also appeal to them.