Oprah Winfrey Backs John Fetterman Over Dr. Oz In Pennsylvania Senate Race
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Mehmet Oz, running for Senate in Pennsylvania, got a big boost in his TV career from Oprah Winfrey.
But she’s not lending that support to his political ambitions.
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Winfrey said that if she lived in Pennsylvania, she would support his rival, John Fetterman.
Weighing in with just days left before the midterms, Winfrey said that there were “many reasons” why she was supporting Fetterman, but also noted that she also backed Democrats in other races across the country.
In a statement, Winfrey said, “At the beginning of the midterm campaigns, I said it was up to citizens to vote for who would represent them. If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman. There are clear choices and some dynamic candidates who are working to represent the values that so many of us hold dear—like inclusion, compassion, and community. So I ask that voters use discernment and choose wisely for the democracy of our country.” Winfrey announced her support during a “virtual town hall” on voting, where she was joined by Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-OH).
Fetterman’s campaign quickly touted Winfrey’s support. “Oprah knows Dr. Oz very well and decided to support us “for many reasons. The best November surprise,” the campaign wrote.
The Fetterman-Oz race is one of the closely watched U.S. Senate races in the country and could decide which party controls the chamber in the next Congress.
While there is great debate over the value of celebrity endorsements, Winfrey’s support, when she was the top rated TV talk host, was credited with helping launch Barack Obama’s presidential campaign in the 2008 cycle.
Back in 2018, Winfrey appeared on the campaign trail with Stacey Abrams, running for governor of Georgia, and the talk host even went door-to-door canvassing. But Abrams lost the race to Brian Kemp, and she is trailing in polls for this year’s rematch.
But the Fetterman-Oz race is a bit different, given Winfrey’s long history with Oz. She is credited with starting his TV career, as he appeared as a health expert on her show. His series was then launched through her company, Harpo Productions.
But Oz’s alignment with Donald Trump puts him at odds with Winfrey’s politics. She had so far stayed out of the race, as scrutiny focused on the extent to which Oz provided a national TV platform for questionable medical products and claims. Fetterman’s campaign has tried to counter Oz’s celebrity status by portraying him as an out of touch opportunist.
Winfrey did endorse a candidate in a neighboring state, Wes Moore, the Democratic nominee for governor of Maryland. Moore hosted a show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, and Winfrey taped an ad and appeared at a campaign event for him during the primary. Moore is ahead in the polls over his Republican rival, Dan Cox, who has Trump’s endorsement.
On Thursday, Winfrey also announced her support for a number of other Democratic midterm candidates, including Cheri Beasley, running for U.S. Senate in North Carolina, Val Demings, running for U.S. Senate in Florida, Beto O’Rourke, running for governor of Texas, Catherine Cortez Masto, seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate in Nevada, Raphael Warnock, seeking reelection to the U.S. Senate in Georgia, and Mandela Barnes, seeking a U.S. Senate seat in Wisconsin. She also said she is backing Abrams again and appeared with her at a campaign event this cycle.
According to the New York Post, Oz said that he asked Winfrey to stay out of the race. His campaign released a statement to Politico saying that Oz “loves Oprah and respects the fact that they have different politics. He believes we need more balance and less extremism in Washington.”
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