Dr. Oz faces judgment day in Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary with Trump’s backing

TV’s Dr. Oz faced political judgment day on Tuesday with a powerful secret weapon: former President Trump’s backing.

Oz has the MAGA leader’s potent support as he battles two main rivals in a GOP Senate primary that polls say is too close to call.

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks during a Republican leadership forum at Newtown Athletic Club on May 11, 2022 in Newtown, Pennsylvania. (Michael M Santiago/GettyImages/)

As voters started casting ballots Tuesday, Oz posted a photo of Trump wishing him well at an Election Day eve rally.

“He’s gonna win!” Trump told an ebullient Oz.

Polls close at 8 p.m. but it’s unclear when final results will be known because Pennsylvania law bans counting of mail-in ballots before Election Day.

The Keystone State primary is another key test of Trump’s muscle in the partyHis endorsement pushed J.D. Vance to a victory after a last-minute surge in Ohio’s primary two weeks ago. He faces another key test in Georgia next week where he is hoping to topple Gov. Brian Kemp, who refused to support Trump’s scheme to overturn his loss in the 2020 election.

In swing state Pennsylvania, Oz, 61, has held a slim lead in most polls for weeks now but has failed to pull away from the crowded field.

It’s his first political race and he moved from neighboring New Jersey to run in the race to replace Sen. Pat Toomey (R-Pa.), who is retiring.

Oz’s main challengers are hedge fund titan David McCormick and conservative commentator Kathy Barnette, a Black woman who has surged in recent polls into a near-dead heat with the other two.

Despite Trump’s endorsement, Oz’s main fight has been with the perception that he is not a staunch enough conservative.

Rivals have pointed to his moderate stances on abortion through the years and transgender rights, a hot button issue for the right.

Barnette, a firebrand right-winger, has accused him of being less than 100% dedicated to America because he held dual Turkish and American citizenship and has voted in Turkish elections. She insists she won’t back either Oz or McCormick, calling them “globalists.”

Fetterman vows to continue campaign after suffering stroke

The winner will likely face Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, who has led polls of the contest for months. Fetterman suffered a stroke on Friday, injecting some uncertainty into his race against Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) and state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta.

The general election contest is perhaps Democrats’ best chance to pick up a Senate seat and will be a marquee race in the midterm elections.