PITTSBURGH— Pennsylvania Lieutenant Gov. John Fetterman (D) has defeated television doctor Mehmet Oz (R) in Pennsylvania’s Senate race, according to three major networks, allowing Democrats across the nation to breathe a momentary sigh of relief over their chances of retaining control in the Senate.
Oz called Fetterman to concede at 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Fetterman’s communications director Joe Calvello tweeted, about eight hours after first NBC News called the race.
Hours earlier, at 1:17 a.m., the Pennsylvania Democrat addressed a crowd of supporters who had milled around the Stage AE venue for hours—hoping that their candidate could recapture some of the momentum he had shown throughout the summer.
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“I’m not really sure really what to say right now. Oh my goodness,” a stunned Fetterman said as he walked to the podium. “I’m so humbled. Thank you so much. Really. Thank you. Thank you. Like it’s what is it? It’s like 1:30 in the morning and you’re still here hanging in.”
After thanking his wife Gisele, his staff, and supporters, Fetterman told the crowd, “I’m just so proud of the race that we ran. And this campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who’s ever been gotten knocked down that ever got back up.”
The joy and relief of the crowd was evident. After all, a month ago, Democrats were so confident that Fetterman would easily defeat Oz that the TV doctor had basically become a punchline. But on Election Night, as the returns rolled in at Fetterman’s watch-party and his lead narrowed, hardly anyone thought Oz was a laughing matter.
Fetterman was a commanding frontrunner in the Democratic primary this cycle and originally showed a strong lead over Oz as the duo went head-to-head in the general election. But everything changed after Fetterman suffered a stroke in May, leaving him off the trail for the bulk of the summer.
When he returned, his candidacy was plagued with questions about his health and criticism over his lack of transparency on the matter.
Fetterman and his campaign pushed back, insisting they’d been open about his recovery, which included speech therapy for his lingering auditory processing issues. In interviews and at the lone debate for the seat, Fetterman used closed captioning to assist him in understanding questions and conversations.
Oz hit Fetterman on Democratic stewardship of economy and his record on crime throughout the race—all of which drove polls between Fetterman and Oz to narrow in the weeks leading up to the election.
So as Fetterman diehards trickled into the venue shortly after 8 p.m., there was still a lot to worry about. The campaign was bumping classic rock over the speakers. CNN’s election coverage played on a large screen on stage. Snacks were available for the crowd and drinks at the bar began flowing. The thermostat ran inexplicably cold.
Fetterman’s family arrived shortly thereafter. His wife Gisele, a political force of her own, waved at partygoers from the rafters. Additional members of the Fetterfamily, including their children and Fetterman’s father, stayed on the second level as Gisele went down to work the crowd. A poster-board cutout of the Fetterman family dogs, Levi and Artie, was propped up toward the front of the room. His supporters were decked out with his signature black-and-white signs and campaign T-shirts.
But as of midnight, only one speaker had taken the stage: Pittsburgh Mayor Ed Gainey. In a bellowing voice, he told the crowd that Democrats are in it for the long haul.
“Tonight is going to be a night, and we won’t stop until every vote is counted,” he said.
The first shrieking “Woo!” from the crowd came as CNN aired early returns of the race showing Fetterman unsustainably ahead, with early returns in blue counties showing Fetterman with a runaway lead. As more returns rolled in, the percentage difference between Fetterman and Oz came closer to reality, showing them neck-and-neck.
As CNN continued to show Fetterman’s tally narrowly in the lead, the crowd remained chipper, holding on to hope that Oz won’t inch ahead, even as attendance appeared to thin as the night moved closer to midnight.
Fetterman built his career in the Pittsburgh area as mayor of the dilapidated steel town Braddock, and he has hometown fans in this wing of Pennsylvania.
Across the state, Oz was hosting a party of his own in Bucks County, a Republican sweet spot in the state. His venue was an upscale fitness club and his stage was erected in what appeared to be a basketball court.
But it appears Fetterman’s message—much of which focused on pinning Oz as an out-of-touch carpetbagger—won out. From the very start of the general election cycle, Fetterman had hammered Oz on only recently moving to Pennsylvania from New Jersey, among other repeated talking points like Oz’s wealth and long history of pushing questionable medical advice on his television show.
And Oz inadvertently generated several negative news cycles for himself, with gaffes like him calling a vegetable tray “crudites,” getting the name of a widely known Pennsylvania grocery chain wrong, and giving misleading answers about how many houses he owns. He was also bogged down by controversial and sticky stories, like one that revealed his medical research allegedly killed over 300 dogs.
Fetterman’s seat was considered a must-win for Democrats who believed he was their best chance at gaining a seat in the Senate—or setting off potential losses. Pennsylvania barely went blue for now President Biden in 2020—but remains a swing state that Republicans heavily targeted this cycle as well.
