After a confusing and close race, David McCormick lost to Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania’s Republican Senate primary. McCormick said he “came so close” on election night.
He spent two weeks “trying to make sure every Republican vote was counted” when Oz was ahead by less than 1,000 votes and a recall was asked for.
BREAKING: Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick conceded the Republican primary in Pennsylvania for U.S. Senate to celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz. He acknowledged an ongoing statewide recount wouldn't give him enough votes to make up the deficit. https://t.co/4GXSKS7XaM
— The Associated Press (@AP) June 3, 2022
Oz tweeted that McCormick thanked him for his support. Now that the primary is done, they’ll make sure this Senate seat doesn’t go to John Fetterman, and the extremist left.
Unto the Midterms
Oz said he looks forward to campaigning across Pennsylvania over the next five months.
Pennsylvania Interim Secretary of State Leigh Chapman authorized a recount last week after 902 votes, or 0.1%, separated Oz and McCormick.
The recount is due by June 7 and results were expected the next day. McCormick stated he didn’t require final results.
Oz will face Lt. Gov. John Fetterman (D), recovering from a stroke, in one of the year’s most critical Senate races.
“We must beat John Fetterman and win back the Senate in 2022. I support [Oz],” he remarked.
<checks notes>
I ACTUALLY LIVE IN PENNSYLVANIA!!!
Please consider rushing $10 to our campaign right now to help me beat New Jersey's Dr. Oz in November. https://t.co/ZnlOVPS0TS
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) June 4, 2022
Fetterman used the announcement to mock Oz’s Pennsylvania home. Since they both ran for office this year, much of the campaign has been about their differences.
McCormick and Oz quickly became front-runners by spending significant sums of money on their campaigns.
McCormick, from Pennsylvania, but resided in Connecticut until recently, attacked Oz’s ties to Turkey and his scant connection to the Keystone State. Oz countered by blasting McCormick’s Wall Street and previous hedge fund’s China ties.
The interpersonal back-and-forth grew so heated that conservative pundit Kathy Barnette surged late in the primary, although she finished third.
In a surprising revelation in April, former President Trump endorsed Oz. After the primary, Trump pressured the famous doctor to declare victory, even though the votes were still being counted.
A Win For Trump
Oz’s triumph is significant for Trump since his favored candidates in the Georgia and Nebraska GOP gubernatorial races and some House contests lost.
Both parties are stepping up their general election campaigns to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R). Following McCormick’s revelation, Republicans began to toe the line behind Oz.
The Senate Leadership Fund, the Senate GOP’s leading super PAC, touted Oz’s position on TV as a veteran talk show host and reminded the media of its $24 million Pennsylvania ad time beginning this autumn.
Democrats jumped on McCormick’s admission. The left-wing ended up using it to connect Oz to Trump and say that he sold fake diet pills, along with other questionable treatments.
In a statement posted Friday, Fetterman, who suffered a stroke last month, claimed he “nearly died.” He acknowledged a cardiac issue in 2017, all of this being months before the midterm elections.
