OnPolitics: Pennsylvania's Senate race heats up 🔥

Amy Nakamura and Ella Lee, USA TODAY
·2 min read

Greetings, OnPolitics readers!

It's Amy here, taking a look at one of the most competitive races of this year's midterm elections.

The race for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate this year was once considered Democratic nominee John Fetterman's to lose. However, his GOP opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz has slowly been coming back in the polls.

Congressional reporter Candy Woodall has been following this race closely, and she has an idea of how the Donald Trump-endorsed celebrity doctor may come out on top this November. She writes:

From being trolled by Fetterman on social media over referring to a supermarket veggie tray as "crudités," Oz has now attracted millions of dollars from national political action committees.

He has a barrage of ads running against his opponent, has the media joining him in asking for the Democrat’s health records and has effectively cut Fetterman’s lead to a few points – within the margin of error.

Early in the summer, Fetterman held a nearly double-digit lead over his Republican opponent and was on track to help Senate Democrats secure their majority. But in the last month, Oz has surged in spending and favorability and eroded Fetterman’s lead to 3 points, according to a new Franklin & Marshall Poll out Thursday.

"It was like Fetterman was running unopposed over the summer," said Berwood Yost, director of Franklin & Marshall's Center for Opinion Research. "That has changed. Oz is challenging his crime record, and the messaging is working."

🗳️ A larger trend?:How Dr. Oz tightened Pa. Senate race with Fetterman. Is it a warning sign for Democrats?

Back to Ella with the top stories happening today.

Real quick: Stories you'll want to read

  • Ginni Thomas speaks to Jan. 6 committee: In testimony today before the House committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol attack, Ginni Thomas, the wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, repeated claims the 2020 election was stolen, despite a lack of evidence.

  • Russian sanctions impact: Biden administration officials urged lawmakers to give more time to unprecedented sanctions against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine, while also promising additional actions are in the works.

  • Hurricane Ian: President Joe Biden warned oil and gas companies yesterday not to use the storm as an excuse to hike prices at the gas pump.

  • VP in South Korea: Vice President Kamala Harris capped her four-day trip to Asia with a stop today at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the Korean Peninsula as she emphasized the "ironclad" U.S. commitment to the security of its Asian allies in the face of an increasingly hostile North Korea.

🏛️ What's next: Associate Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson will be honored in a ceremony tomorrow at the Supreme Court, a revived tradition. She's the first Black woman to serve on the high court. The Supreme Court begins its new term Monday. -- Ella & Amy

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: How Dr. Oz is closing the poll gap between him and John Fetterman

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