Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate candidates will face off Tuesday in a live televised debate for the first, and possibly only, time, in a closely-watched race that Democrats hope to flip as they look to keep control of the Senate.
Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in September finally agreed to a single debate after months of back and forth on rules and regulations. Oz, a celebrity surgeon-turned-politician, claimed Fetterman was ducking debates in part because he remained ill from a stroke he suffered in May.
In lieu of a traditional debate, Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate candidates have so far duked it out on social media, trolling each other with viral memes attacking each others’ policies, health and commitment to the state.
After Sen. Pat Toomey, R-Pa., announced his retirement, Democrats saw a chance to flip the swing state’s Senate seat blue, making the race between Fetterman and Oz one of the most competitive and consequential races in the country. With a 50-50 Senate split, control of the chamber could hinge on a single race.
Fetterman leads Oz by about 4 percentage points, an average of recent polls by analysis site FiveThirtyEight shows.
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Of veggie trays and votes
The Tuesday debate is giving Democrat John Fetterman an opportunity to replay one of his campaign’s greatest hits – capitalizing on his Republican opponent’s produce gaffe.
Oz went viral for the wrong reasons, by political standards, in the summer when a video showed him in a grocery store (whose name he mispronounced) and buying crudites, the fancy French description of a veggie tray.
“He is not a person who understands inflation,” Fetterman said in an interview with USA TODAY. “This is a guy that has demonstrated that he doesn’t even know how to shop for groceries.”
— Candy Woodall
Wegners?: Oz confuses Wegmans, Redner’s in odd video on shopping for crudités
Oz launches crime agenda before debate
Oz launched a 22-point plan to fight crime a day before his first and only debate with Democrat Fetterman.
His plan focuses on reducing drug crimes, increasing federal resources for safer streets, sentencing reform and more, and it fits into a national strategy among Republicans who are making crime a central issue.
An influx of cash from national Republicans and millions of dollars spent on TV ads that were designed to make Fetterman appear soft on crime helped Oz move the political needle in his favor, tightening polls from about double digits to within margins of error.
“Dr. Oz has put forth a plan to fight crime through policies that increase resources for local law enforcement, improve crime prevention programs, and support relief for drug users. These are real solutions to address mounting issues of crime from the smallest retail theft to devastating homicide,” Oz spokesperson Brittany Yanick said in a statement.
— Candy Woodall
The debate between Fetterman and Oz is slated to begin at 8 p.m. ET and last an hour.
It will be hosted by Nexstar Media at a Harrisburg, Pennsylviana, affiliate news studio.
– Ella Lee
Pennsylvania Senate race:How Dr. Oz tightened Pa. Senate race with Fetterman. Is it a warning sign for Democrats?
