Just before 1 a.m. on Election Night, outlets projected Democrat Senate candidate John Fetterman to defeat Republican opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Oz conceded his loss this morning, according to the Fetterman campaign’s director of communications Joe Calvello.
This morning at 9:30 Dr. Oz called John Fetterman to concede.
— Joe Calvello (@the_vello) November 9, 2022
“This morning I called John Fetterman and congratulated him. I wish him and his family all the best, both personally and as our next United States Senator,” Oz said in a Wednesday statement. “Campaigning throughout our great Commonwealth was the honor of a lifetime, and I will cherish the memories and the people I met. … We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done.”
Fetterman’s victory provides Democrats a strong chance of holding their Senate majority as the Senator-elect is filling the seat of retiring Republican Senator Pat Toomey. Fetterman currently holds 50.4% of the vote compared to Oz’s 47.2% with 94% of precincts reporting results.
“It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania,” Fetterman announced shortly after midnight following Election Day. “We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down And I won’t let you down. Thank you.”
It’s official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down
And I won’t let you down. Thank you.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 9, 2022
“I’m so humbled,” Fetterman said, addressing his supporters during his victory speech. “We jammed them up. We held the line. I never expected that we were gonna turn these red counties blue but we did what we needed to do and we had that conversation across every one of those counties. Tonight that’s why I’ll be the next [United States] Senator from Pennsylvania.”
Fetterman continued:
This campaign has always been about fighting for everyone who’s ever been got knocked down that ever got back up. This race is for the future of every community all across Pennsylvania, for every small town or person that ever felt left behind, for every job that was ever been lost, for every [factory] that was ever closed, for every person that works hard but never got ahead – I’m proud of what we ran on. Protecting a woman’s right to choose, raising our minimum wage, fighting the union way of life, healthcare as a fundamental human right. It saved my life and it should all be there for you if you ever should need it. Standing up to corporate greed, making more things right here in America, and right here in Pennsylvania, and standing up for our democracy. … We bet on the people of Pennsylvania and you didn’t let us down.
The Senator-elect, who is currently serving as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor after winning his first state-wide office in 2018, dominated fellow Democratic contenders in the state’s May Senate primary, garnering 58% support.
