Oprah Winfrey endorses John Fetterman over Dr. Oz: 'Welcome to #TeamFetterman'

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.”

READ MORE:John Fetterman showed 'courage' and a 'more humane way forward' in Senate debate: editorial

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.

READ MORE: John Fetterman and the last consequence-free stigma: How Mehmet Oz weaponized ableism