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Salon
Salon
Politics
Alex Henderson

Oprah snubs protégé Oz, backs Fetterman

Oprah Winfrey speaks during Oprah's 2020 Vision: Your Life in Focus Tour at Chase Center on February 22, 2020 in San Francisco, California. (Steve Jennings/Getty Images)

Oprah Winfrey lives in Chicago, not in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh or Harrisburg. But during an online townhall on Thursday, November 3, Winfrey made it clear that if she did live anywhere in Pennsylvania, she would be voting for Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman — not Dr. Mehmet Oz — in the Keystone State's 2022 U.S. Senate race.

Oz owes much of his success as a television doctor to Winfrey, who hasn't had a lot to say about the Pennsylvania Senate race or Oz's campaign. But during the townhall, she told attendees, "I said it was up to the citizens of Pennsylvania. But I would tell you all this: If I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons."

In response, Fetterman tweeted, "WELCOME TO #TEAMFETTERMAN, @Oprah!!" and added, "If you agree with @Oprah, then chip in to help us win this race."

Fetterman and Oz are competing for the U.S. Senate seat presently held by conservative Republican Sen. Pat Toomey, who decided not to seek reelection. With the midterms elections less than a week away, polls released in early November are showing a close and volatile race. A Marist poll released on Friday, November 4 showed Fetterman with a 6 percent lead over Oz, yet a poll by GOP pollster the Trafalgar Group released the same time showed Fetterman trailing Oz by 2 percent. And a Fox News poll released on November 3 showed Fetterman with a 4 percent lead.

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