Entrepreneur Dave McCormick officially awarded Mehmet Oz in the Republican primary in Pennsylvania, making Oz the official GOP candidate to run for the U.S. Senate.
Leading the news: The extremely tight race between McCormick and Oz had entered a countdown, but McCormick was still falling short. Oz, backed by Trump, will face Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania John Fetterman, who is recovering from a stroke in November.
The big picture: A count of the results in the Republican Senate primaries was underway as McCormick conceded.
- The race was seen largely as a test of Trump’s understanding of the Republican Party. Trump backed Oz, a famous television doctor, in the early primary and Oz had declared himself the alleged candidate while the count continued.
- Trump supporters in Pennsylvania booed the mention of Oz’s name days before the primaries.
- It was also one of the most expensive U.S. Senate races in the country with millions of dollars contributed from across the country, according to Mike D’Onofrio Taylor Allen of Axios.
- Oz put at least $ 12 million of his own money into the race. McCormick spent at least $ 11 million.
The primary battle of the GOP also became a struggle for postal voting. McCormick filed a lawsuit in a Pennsylvania court in late May to make sure all Republican ballots mailed without a handwritten signature could be counted.
Democrats have not been waiting for a recount vote recently after organizing a campaign bombing of the two candidates, reports Alayna Treene of Axios.
- The race to replace retired U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (right) will be watched nationally and the outcome could determine upper house control.