How Dr. Oz tightened Pa. Senate race with Fetterman. Is it a warning sign for Democrats?
One of the most-watched Senate races has become one of the most competitive, sending a warning sign to national Democrats who may have thought the open Pennsylvania seat was a sure thing.
![](https://cdn.statically.io/img/www.usatoday.com/gcdn/presto/2022/04/25/USAT/4e7cdf32-840d-4fdc-85c8-39bcb092e1f7-Candy.jpg?crop=399,399,x0,y0&width=48&height=48&format=pjpg&auto=webp)
WASHINGTON—The race for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat this year was once considered Democrat John Fetterman's to lose, as Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz found himself on the ropes.
Oz, a cardiothoracic surgeon, took a political beating in the Pennsylvania primary from top opponent Dave McCormick – a race that wasn’t called for three weeks after Election Day, in which the doctor was painted as a Hollywood outsider who lives in New Jersey.
So how did a Donald Trump-backed celebrity doctor survive a rough-and-tumble primary and accusations of carpetbagging to make the nationally watched Pennsylvania Senate race a neck-and-neck affair? A combination of issues, including an influx of GOP money and an untimely medical setback for his opponent.
Prep for the polls: See who is running for president and compare where they stand on key issues in our Voter Guide