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Oz, who hosts the syndicated "The Dr. Oz Show,"
brings substantial name recognition to a wide-open Nov. 8, 2022,
contest that could determine control of the Senate and the fate
of Democratic President Joe Biden's agenda.
Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania in the 2020 election but
Republicans made gains in the state legislature. Many observers
expect next year's race to be a toss-up following the retirement
of Republican Senator Pat Toomey.
Toomey was one of seven Republican senators who voted to convict
former President Donald Trump in January following Trump's
impeachment.
Oz rose to fame shocking audiences with show-and-tell displays
of decaying lungs and rotting livers, telling viewers they
should take care of themselves.
His public image took a blow in 2014, however, when he told
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-senate-oz-idINKBN0ES2RN20140617
lawmakers probing bogus diet product ads that some of the
products promoted on his show lacked "scientific muster."
Senators at the hearing focused on green coffee bean extract, a
dietary supplement Oz touted in 2012 as a "miracle."
In a statement on Tuesday, Oz said he was running as a
"conservative Republican" and described himself as a top-notch
surgeon and health care advocate.
He enters the race days after another Republican candidate,
military veteran Sean Parnell, who had received Trump's
endorsement, ended his own campaign. Parnell dropped out
following a court ruling that outlined allegations of domestic
abuse against his estranged wife, which Parnell has denied.
The Republican field also includes real estate developer Jeff
Bartos.
Democrats hold slim majorities in the U.S. Congress ahead of
next November's elections. The Senate is split 50-50 between
Democrats and Republicans with Vice President Kamala Harris
casting tie-breaking votes for Biden's party.
Democrats have yet to pick a candidate for the Pennsylvania
Senate race, with Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman, a
progressive, and U.S. Representative Conor Lamb, a moderate,
seen as front-runners for the party nomination.
(Reporting by Jason Lange; Editing by Scott Malone and David
Gregorio)
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