dr Oz and rivals David McCormick and Kathy Barnette are neck and neck in the Pennsylvania Senate race despite Trump’s backing of the medical TV star, new polls show
- Trump endorsed Dr. TV’s Mehmet Oz in the competitive race
- With 22 percent he leads just
- Two other Republicans run closely with him
- Survey has an error rate of almost 5 percent
- McCormick slammed Oz in a debate, saying he’s talking about Trump because “he can’t run on his own positions and his own record”.
A new poll in the hard-fought Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary shows a close tie between three top candidates, including Dr. TV’s Mehmet Oz, who holds the endorsement of former President Donald Trump.
dr Oz just topped the field with 22 percent ahead of the May 17 primary in a new poll by Monmouth University. Close behind was David McCormick, recruited by party officials to enter the race, with 19 percent.
Kathy Barnette, a conservative political commentator, was at 18 percent, putting the trio in a statistically dead heat.
McCormick stepped in after GOP contestant Scott Parnell withdrew from the race after losing a custody battle with his ex-wife, who accused him of molestation.
Just like his political benefactor Trump, Oz has become a polarizing figure with high positives and high negatives.
Kathy Barnette, left, Mehmet Oz and George Bochetto attend a forum for Republican candidates for the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate at the Pennsylvania Leadership Conference in Camp Hill, Pa., Saturday, April 2, 2022. dr Oz has the support of former President Donald Trump
According to the poll, he led under 18 percent of voters who had a “very positive” opinion, while also pulling the most with a “very negative” opinion.
“This is the kind of environment where a number of candidates could emerge as nominees. Oz has the highest notoriety but also the highest negatives. However, if McCormick and Oz beat each other up, Barnette could realistically end up at the top,” said Patrick Murray, who conducted the poll.
As pollsters tried to push “Leaner,” McCormick won by a narrow 51 percent majority, Oz tied at 48 percent, and Barnette at 37 percent.
Both Oz and McCormick have lived out of state, with Ohio-born Oz staying near New York for his TV show after attending the University of Pennsylvania. McCormick lived in Connecticut and still owns several homes out of state.
In a new Monmouth University poll of Republicans running for the Pennsylvania Senate, three candidates are nearly even
Hedge fund David McCormick, like Oz, recently moved to the state
Contestant Kathy Barnette could benefit if Oz and McCormick continue to trade punches
Everyone returned to the state after Senator Pat Toomey (R-Pa.) announced his resignation. Oz rents a house owned by his in-laws.
A nearly 51 percent majority said they were concerned about Oz’s residency issue.
The poll comes days after Oz and McCormick clashed with multiple candidates in a televised debate.
“The reason Mehmet keeps talking about supporting President Trump is because he can’t run on his own positions and on his own tally,” McCormick said.
“The problem, Doctor, is that there’s no magic bullet against flip-flops, and Pennsylvanians see through your duplicity, and that’s what you’re dealing with, and that’s why you don’t stand out in the polls.”
Carla Sands got 9 percent in the poll and Jeff Bartos got 7 percent.