Mehmat Oz, professionally known as Dr Oz, emerged victorious in the Pennsylvania's Republican Senate primary election on Friday, as his opposing candidate Dave McCormick, a former hedge fund manager, conceded.
A state-mandated recount was conducted as the margin between the two candidates was less than 0.5 percent in the polls, as per Pennsylvania law. Acknowledging that the recount in progress would not give him enough votes to catch up to Oz, the former hedge fund executive decided it was the best if he concedes. "It's now clear to me with the recount now largely complete that we have a nominee," McCormick told supporters at a campaign party, the Associated Press reported.
Celebrity-doctor-turned US Senate hopeful Oz, 61, will now face Democratic Nominee Lt. Gov. John Fetterman, in the upcoming November elections.
Who is Dr Oz?
Mehmat Oz is an American-Turkish TV personality who rose to fame as a health expert after making frequent appearances at the Oprah Winfrey show for 5 seasons. His big break came in 2009 as he began hosting the nationally syndicated chat show Dr Oz.
From health and wellness to celebrity interviews to true crime stories, the show covered all possible topics of general awareness and aired for 13 seasons from 2009 to 2022.
Oz's show was replaced by The Good Dish, which features his daughter Daphne, as per the Sun.
Religion
Dr. Oz, who is of Turkish origin, associates himself to Islamic faith. If he is elected, he will become the first Muslim senator in the history of the US. Dr. Oz also holds a dual Turkish citizenship, a factor his opponents raised in the election, according to PBS.
Family and Education
According to his biography at the show's official website, the 61-year-old is a native of Cleveland, Ohio, and has worked as a cardiothoracic surgeon at the New York Presbyterian Hospital. Oz's parents had immigrated from Turkey to the US. His father, Mustafa, was also a surgeon.
The celebrity-doctor has four children with his wife Lisa, whom he married in 1985.
With an undergraduate degree from Harvard, Oz earned his Master's degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1986 and his MBA from the university's Wharton School.
Medical Controversies and Claims
The TV host has been a professor at the Department of Surgery at Columbia University since 2001. However, following a controversy on his promotion of alternative medicines and the entry in the Senate race, the university proceeded to delete his profile from their official website, USA Today reported.
Oz was also heavily criticized by the NYT for the pharmaceutical marketing practices of his Atlanta based health and wellness company, Sharecare that provides personalized health information to users based on their responses to an online test.
Achievements
Frequently writing a column in Esquire, Oz has authored 8 best sellers and was named "Global Leader of Tomorrow" by the World Economic Forum, from 1994 till 2004. The celebrity doctor has also won eight Daytime Emmys.
Political Campaign
In reference to his medical background, Oz initially focused on the pandemic and its aftermath as he opposed vaccine mandates and business shutdowns. Soon he started supporting the idea of energy independence and aligned himself with the former president's endorsement statement.
Apart from this, his campaign also includes problems related to election security, immigration as well as gun control laws and abortions, the biggest issues across the nation today.
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