Statewide candidates in Pennsylvania are focusing on the suburbs of Philadelphia on Election Day.
Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz and Democratic Lt. Governor John Fetterman are vying for the commonwealth’s open seat in the U.S. Senate, while Republican state Sen. Doug Mastriano and Democratic Attorney General Josh Shapiro are competing in the gubernatorial race. While the former race is neck-and-neck and the latter favors the Democrat, all four candidates converged upon the outskirts of the City of Brotherly Love.
Former President Barack Obama joined President Joe Biden in a rally with both Democratic candidates in Philadelphia on Saturday, while former President Donald Trump campaigned alongside Oz in the western Pennsylvania city of Latrobe. Oz and Fetterman then hosted competing events in Bucks County on Sunday, according to a report from Politico.
Oz held his final campaign event in Montgomery County on Monday evening, drawing a crowd of roughly 1,500 supporters, according to a statement from the candidate provided to The Daily Wire. “This election is our chance to put Pennsylvania and America back on the path to prosperity,” he remarked. “I believe that, together, we can make our streets safer. I believe we can have all-the-above energy solutions. I believe we can lower inflation and healthcare costs. And, most importantly, I believe in all of you to help save the soul of America.”
Mastriano held an event in Telford, a borough of Bucks and Montgomery County, on Monday evening. On Tuesday, both Shapiro and Oz cast their ballots at polling places in Montgomery County. The former candidate served as a member of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners before attaining his current post in Harrisburg.
“I am very proud of how we’ve run this campaign,” Oz said in another statement provided to The Daily Wire. “Pennsylvanians are sending a clear message to Washington: we want less radicalism and more balance.”
Oz has indeed criticized Fetterman for his left-leaning agenda while positioning himself as a moderate. During the nominees’ only debate at the end of last month, Oz drilled his opponent on crime policy and immigration. When moderators pressed Oz to harmonize his support of rape and incest exemptions with his pro-life position, the candidate said that he would leave all abortion policy to the states should he gain a seat in Congress.
Biden defeated Trump in Montgomery County by 62.6% to 36.4%, according to records from the Pennsylvania Department of State. The results were much narrower in Bucks County, with Biden clinching 51.7% and Trump securing 47.3%, although the former commander-in-chief had won the area in 2016.
Abortion is a particularly salient issue in the Philadelphia suburbs. On the issue, which Fetterman contended is “healthcare” in the debate against Oz, Democrats are hoping for a windfall as voters react against the Supreme Court overturning Roe v. Wade.
Throughout the midterm election cycle, Democratic candidates have received criticism from inside and outside their institutions for discussing fringe issues while neglecting kitchen-table matters such as inflation and school choice. Third Way, a center-left think tank, revealed on Monday that the Republicans maintain double-digit advantages over their rivals on the economy and immigration, with roughly 56% saying that Democrats “are not focused enough on the economy” and only 36% expressing the same about their opponents.