More than two weeks after the May 17 Republican primary for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, Dave McCormick has conceded the close contest to Dr. Mehmet Oz.
McCormick announced that he had called and informed Oz that he will aim to unite people around Oz’s Senate bid.
“I received a gracious phone call from David McCormick and am tremendously grateful for his pledge of support in the fall election. We share the goal of a brighter future for Pennsylvania & America,” Oz tweeted.
Oz, a celebrity who previously hosted a television program, was backed by former President Donald Trump during the primary contest. The candidate will go on to face Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman during the general election contest.
Fetterman suffered a stroke last month and then later had a pacemaker with a defibrillator inserted on the day of the election.
“The stroke I suffered on May 13 didn’t come out of nowhere. Like so many others, and so many men in particular, I avoided going to the doctor, even though I knew I didn’t feel well. As a result, I almost died,” Fetterman said in a statement issued on Friday, according to reports.
The candidate’s cardiologist, Dr. Ramesh Chandra, noted in a statement that in 2017 he had diagnosed Fetterman “with atrial fibrillation, an irregular heart rhythm, along with a decreased heart pump” and “had prescribed medications along with improved diet and exercise and asked him to follow up again in the following months.”
But Chandra noted that Fetterman did not see a physician for five years and failed to keep taking his medicine.
“The prognosis I can give for John’s heart is this: if he takes his medications, eats healthy, and exercises, he’ll be fine. If he does what I’ve told him, and I do believe that he is taking his recovery and his health very seriously this time, he should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem.”