Dr. Oz Says Abortion Should Be Between 'Women, Doctors, Local Political Leaders' in Senate Debate
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Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Bonnie Biess/Getty John Fetterman, Mehmet Oz
In the only debate of the closely watched Pennsylvania Senate race on Tuesday night, Republican candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz said women, doctors and "local political leaders" should decide whether a woman can obtain an abortion.
The comment came during a testy exchange while facing his opponent, Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, 53, with whom he clashes with on an array of issues.
"I want women, doctors, local political leaders letting the democracy that always allowed our nation to thrive to put the best ideas forward so that states can decide for themselves," Oz, 62, said.
PEOPLE reached out to Oz's campaign for comment, but a spokesperson told NBC News that the former talk show host is "pro-life with exceptions for rape, incest and the life of the mother."
Fetterman, meanwhile, said his campaign "would fight for Roe v. Wade."
The evening marked the first time the Democrat had appeared in such a forum since suffering a stroke five months ago, which he acknowledged at the start of the debate.
"Let's also talk about the elephant in the room: I had a stroke," Fetterman said, and then added of Oz, "He'll never let me forget that."
Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty
Two closed-captioning monitors displayed moderators' questions and the candidates' answers in an allowance both parties agreed to prior to the debate, according to The New York Times.
The candidates also tackled other issues, including crime, with Oz seizing on Fetterman as a "soft-on-crime liberal" who lived off his parents until he was in his 40s, per the outlet.
Also during the debate Tuesday, the MAGA-supporting celebrity doctor tried to distance himself from the notion of being an "extreme" candidate. "Washington keeps getting it wrong with extreme positions: I want to bring civility, balance," said Oz, who won his primary largely due to an endorsement from former President Donald Trump.
RELATED: The Rise and Fall of Dr. Oz
The race is one of the most talked-about of the 2022 midterms, and a central battleground for control of the Senate.
Throughout the race, Fetterman has portrayed Oz as an outsider — a wealthy New Jerseyan who has tried to use Pennsylvania voters to propel him further into the spotlight. Oz's own actions have only supported Fetterman's point, as viral moment after viral moment pop up reminding Pennsylvanians of his questionable past and lack of familiarity with the Keystone State.
Justin Merriman/Bloomberg via Getty
But Fetterman, who had a strong advantage in the race at the beginning, has seen his wide lead slowly shrink in recent weeks as the election draws near.
FiveThirtyEight showed Fetterman leading the race by a polling average of about 2.3 points on Tuesday.
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Oz, who nearly tied with his top Republican challenger in the GOP primary earlier this year, hopes to overcome the slew of negative press and continue soaring on the wings of Trump's endorsement.
He has made Fetterman's health a central focus of the campaign, which appears to have worked to some extent — despite Fetterman's insistence that he's on the road to full recovery — but hasn't been enough to give him the upper hand.
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