Sponsored message
Audience-funded nonprofit news
radio tower icon laist logo
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
Subscribe
  • Listen Now Playing Listen
Civics & Democracy

Democrat John Fetterman Beats Trump-backed Dr. Oz In Pennsylvania Senate Race

Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman, a light-skinned bald man with a gray and black goatee stands in front of a black and gray microphone wearing a black pullover sweatshirt, speaking.
Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate John Fetterman holds a rally last month in Wallingford, Pa.
(
Mark Makela
/
Getty Images
)

This story is free to read because readers choose to support LAist. If you find value in independent local reporting, make a donation to power our newsroom today.

Follow live updates and election results for the House and Senate here.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman is headed to the U.S. Senate following a campaign full of personal health debates and a fight for control of one of the nation's battleground states. He defeated Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz.

The Senate seat was vacated by retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey, creating the first open Senate seat in Pennsylvania in a dozen years. Fetterman's victory helps the Democrats as they look to secure bigger margins on Capitol Hill.

Currently, Democrats hold a narrow majority in the House, and the Senate is split at 50-50, with Vice President Harris holding a tie-breaking vote.

Mehmet Oz, a tan celebrity physician and Republican Senate candidate, wears a blue suit with a white shirt and a red tie and holds his left hand up waving while holding a microphone, gray and black, close to his chest while smiling in a room where several people applaud in the background.
Mehmet Oz, celebrity physician and Republican Senate candidate, speaks during a town hall in Bell Blue, Pa., in May.
(
Rachel Wisniewski
/
Bloomberg via Getty Images
)

Fetterman's health came into question after he suffered a stroke days before the primary; he needed to undergo a pacemaker implant procedure. For two months he did not return to the campaign trail and only did video appearances.

Fetterman did go back on the road and used closed captioning for some interviews.

Sponsored message

Oz, who rose to prominence in appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show, announced his bid for the Senate last year based on opposition to the federal government's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Oz has promoted hydroxychloroquine as a COVID treatment, has previously been criticized for other health recommendations, and has testified at a Senate hearing on deceptive advertising for diet supplements.

Copyright 2024 NPR. To see more, visit npr.org.


You come to LAist because you want independent reporting and trustworthy local information. Our newsroom doesn’t answer to shareholders looking to turn a profit. Instead, we answer to you and our connected community. We are free to tell the full truth, to hold power to account without fear or favor, and to follow facts wherever they lead. Our only loyalty is to our audiences and our mission: to inform, engage, and strengthen our community.

Right now, LAist has lost $1.7M in annual funding due to Congress clawing back money already approved. The support we receive from readers like you will determine how fully our newsroom can continue informing, serving, and strengthening Southern California.

If this story helped you today, please become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission. It just takes 1 minute to donate below.

Your tax-deductible donation keeps LAist independent and accessible to everyone.
Senior Vice President News, Editor in Chief

Make your tax-deductible donation today