Polls have narrowed in the Pennsylvania Senate race with less than one month until the midterms, with Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz now virtually even with Democrat John Fetterman.
A lot has changed in the race to replace retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey. Fetterman enjoyed a 10-point Marist poll lead in late September, though it seemed to evaporate quickly when the Cook Political Report deemed the contest a “toss up” just one week later.
Oz saw an uptick in his support, according to a Monmouth University Polling Institute survey of likely statewide voters released October 6. Approximately 43 percent of Pennsylvanians will either “definitely” or “probably” vote for Oz, versus 48 percent for his Democratic opponent John Fetterman, the current Pennsylvania lieutenant governor.
While Fetterman has taken jabs at Oz over his lack of Philadelphia Eagles fandom and his mixing up of local grocery stores, Oz has made crime an impactful part of his campaign—hammering Fetterman for his past comments and policies.
Serious concerns also stem from the effects of a stroke on Fetterman’s ability to do his job as senator should he be elected. In an interview that aired Tuesday on Nightly News with Lester Holt on NBC, Fetterman required closed-captioning and admitted that his stroke “changes everything.” He acknowledged sometimes having difficulty understanding spoken questions.
Here is where Fetterman and Oz stand on five key issues facing Pennsylvanians.
Inflation
The economy is traditionally the biggest issue in every major election, and this one is no different. Even with job number increases, inflation continues to affect not just Pennsylvanians but all Americans’ wallets in everyday life—at the gas pump and grocery store, and when they want to purchase homes.
Oz has hit Fetterman on his past statements regarding inflation, including one video from last year—when inflation was at 7 percent—where Fetterman said “the economy is on the upswing.” Oz pointed out that inflation has risen more than 1 percent since then.
Fetterman said he would fight for a fair tax code due to “corporate greed.” In August, he blamed the “rich, powerful, the insiders and the lobbyists” in Washington, D.C, for the state of the economy.
Crime
A shift in Oz’s campaign within the past month has centered on crime and likely raised his poll numbers as a result.
During a Fox News interview in September, Oz called Fetterman “probably the most pro-murderer candidate in America” while speaking of Philadelphia’s record-high murder rate.
Fetterman, the former mayor of Braddock who has advocated for second chances, has been hit for his public safety record and statements on gun violence.
Criticisms against his decarceration policy and controversial votes on the state parole board have been mirrored against liberal district attorneys as part of statewide campaigns in other races.
A supporter of criminal justice reform, Fetterman has touted his work with the Braddock police chief, police officers and the community to reduce violent crime.
“One of my proudest achievements as mayor was when Braddock went five and a half years without a gun death,” his campaign website says.
Oz, a gun owner, supports Second Amendment rights and has promised to provide law enforcement with “a powerful voice in Washington.” He is also anti-cashless bail.
Abortion
Reproductive rights have become a rallying cry among Democratic candidates and constituents, not just in Pennsylvania but nationwide.
The aforementioned Monmouth poll shows the biggest numerical difference between Fetterman and Oz on the issue of abortion, with only 29 percent of those surveyed trusting Oz as opposed to 48 percent for Fetterman.
“A woman’s right to make her own health care decisions is sacred and non-negotiable. Period,” Fetterman says on his campaign website. “Right-wing extremists have been hellbent on rolling back abortion access since the ink was barely dry on the Roe v. Wade decision.”
Oz’s campaign says he is “100 percent pro-life.” Politico reported in September that Oz did, however, say he was in favor of exceptions in cases of rape, incest and to protect the health of the mother—in addition to not wanting to criminalize patients and doctors who receive or take part in abortions.
Immigration
When it comes to immigration, Oz has advocated for “a secure border with a barrier, whether that is a physical wall or one patrolled by technological advances.”
Fetterman, whose wife, Gisele, is a Dreamer who fled violence in Brazil to come to the U.S. at age 7, admits the immigration system is “broken.”
“I will work to modernize our visa system and asylum programs so that they can’t be exploited by bad actors,” he said. “I will also fight for a pathway to citizenship for frontline workers, small business owners, and young people who have only known this country as their home.”
Trump/Elections
The Monmouth University poll cited elections and voting processes as “extremely” important by 31 percent of voters, with another 43 percent calling them “very” important.
Fetterman has said he “will fight like hell to expand voting rights” and to get money out of politics, including banning members of Congress from holding or trading stocks.
Oz supports voter ID laws and letting states, rather than the federal government, “take control of our elections.” Although he has been endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Oz has said he would have certified the results of the 2020 election.
Brittany Yanick, communications director for the Oz campaign, reiterated that Oz “is running against the most pro-murderer candidate in the country.”
“We are going to win in November,” Yanick told Newsweek. “Dr. Oz has the support of Republicans, Democrats and independents who want to see safer streets, lower taxes, and a stronger economy for the middle class.
“John Fetterman can’t be bothered to even show up for Pennsylvanians, and the few times he has, he doesn’t take questions and dodges the media. That’s because he supports decriminalizing all drugs, eliminating life sentences for murderers, and opening heroin injection sites in our communities—radical positions that are causing voters from all walks of life to support Dr. Oz.”
Newsweek reached out to the Fetterman campaign for comment.
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