The Senate race in Pennsylvania will be between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz in November after GOP challenger Dave McCormick on Friday night conceded the race two days into a recount.
The Associated Press reported early Friday evening that the former hedge fund CEO announced the concession from a campaign party in a Pittsburgh hotel as initial recount estimates didn’t seem likely to close a narrow gap between McCormick and Oz of about 900 votes.
“It’s now clear to me with the recount now largely complete that we have a nominee,” McCormick told supporters Friday. “Tonight is really about all us coming together.”
The margin between Oz and McCormick was only about 0.07% of the 1.34 million votes cast in the GOP primary, well within the limit that state election laws require a recount unless the losing candidate waives their right to a review of the votes.
Oz, the cardiothoracic surgeon turned TV host who gained former President Donald Trump’s endorsement in April, will face off against the state’s current lieutenant governor who easily took the Democrat nomination an hour after the polls closed on May 17.
Oz and McCormick both faced criticism from other Republican challengers as well as Fetterman earlier in the race over where they lived before seeking a seat on the Senate.
McCormick grew up in Pennsylvania but had lived in Connecticut for about 15 years before returning to the commonwealth in 2021.
Apart from being a longtime New Jersey resident, Oz’s dual citizenship with Turkey, where his mother still lives, made him the target of relentless doubts from his GOP opponents over his ability to represent not just Pennsylvanians but Americans as well.
The race was an uphill battle despite Oz’s national recognition as a TV doctor, as past comments that cautioned against restricting abortion and other topics seem to cast him as a “Hollywood Liberal” to some.
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Even Trump’s endorsement of Oz didn’t seem to give him the decisive advantage as it did for other Republicans, like Republican nominee for governor state Sen. Doug Mastriano.
Oz will have until the Nov. 8 General Election to pull in voters from across the aisle to defeat self-described populist Fetterman.
Fetterman suffered a stroke just days before the polls opened for the primary, but a speedy and well-publicized recovery seemed to keep a majority of Democrats from reconsidering another candidate as he took nearly 60% of the vote last month.
