Democrat Senate nominee John Fetterman lost an endorsement to his opponent Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz, from one of Pennsylvania’s most prominent newspapers in the home stretch to the midterms.
The editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette released a statement of the endorsement on Sunday, citing transparency issues surrounding Fetterman’s health and a lack of real-world experience.
“We believe Mr. Oz is the better bet for Pennsylvania,” wrote the board, then mentioned Fetterman’s ailments stemming from a stroke he suffered earlier this year as not part of the reasoning for the Oz endorsement.
“His lack of transparency, however, in refusing to release his medical records is troubling. It suggests an impulse to conceal and a mistrust of the people. All candidates for a major elected office should release their medical records, as did Mr. Oz. If you want privacy, don’t run for public office,” the board added.
The editorial board wrote that Oz was more moderate on some issues and did not believe he would be a “stooge” of more conservative Republicans.
“We’re encouraged that Mr. Oz is portraying himself as a unifier who will work with Democrats to get things done for Pennsylvania. It remains to be seen whether he can pull that off, but he has the potential to become an influential, thoughtful and independent senator,” wrote the board. “Mr. Oz is likable, engaging, extremely smart and a good listener. Yes, he can sound like a smooth-talking salesman, but that may be what it takes to get deals done in Washington.”
The paper endorsed its first Republican since 1972, with former President Donald Trump in 2020.
According to pollsters, the race is much of a toss-up, although Fetterman struggled immensely during the debate showing signs of cognitive decline, general anxiety and confusion.
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