, Fetterman led by more than 2 percentage points, with approximately 93% of projected votes cast.The state lieutenant governor, John Fetterman, has defeated famous TV doctor Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's high-stakes Senate contest, bringing an end to one of the year's nastiest and most costly campaigns, as both parties saw it as a potential tipping point for control of the chamber.
Speaking for roughly seven minutes at his election night event in Pittsburgh, Fetterman said:"This race is for the future of every community all across Pennsylvania. For every small town or person that ever felt left behind." He said,"When all the ballots are counted, we believe we will win this race," he said."We’ve been closing the gap all night, and we have a lot more ballots to go."
Fetterman, noted for his bald head, tattoos, massive physique, and informal dress , had developed as a progressive hero in recent years — though he and his aides preferred the label"populist." He advocated for marital equality, legal marijuana, and second chances for offenders, including those serving the state's obligatory sentence for second-degree murder, while mayor of the small Pittsburgh-area city of Braddock and then as lieutenant governor.