Wash- o- ing to the mid-atlantic? Don’t miss Dr. Oz’s self-published eBook Why I Am Running for U.S. Senate.
Wish you were closer to the action? Just tweet: “Dr. Oz”
DOCTOR OZ IS RUNNING FOR U.S. SENATE: A year after launching a campaign to become a senator from Pennsylvania, a celebrity doctor has decided to enter the 2018 race.
During an interview with NBC News, actor and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Franco Harris said Monday that he is backing Oz over his fellow Democrat Katie McGinty.
Speaking to host Savannah Guthrie, Harris is quoted as saying: “You see, I’m a fighter. I’m a crusader. I’m with Dr. Oz.”
The 57-year-old Oz is making his bid to take out incumbent Republican Pat Toomey a full year before the primary, according to Harris’ announcement.
“I’m not sure if we have Sen. Pat Toomey. I’m sure he can do some serious damage to our country. We are bigger than our differences,” Harris told Guthrie.
While Oz has not previously served in Congress, he is no stranger to politics. The physician, reality TV star and creator of the healthy living show “The Dr. Oz Show” is a Republican and longtime supporter of the Republican Party.
“It’s been an honor to stand up to the powerful special interests and create real change for the American people,” the YouTube star, radio host and philanthropist said in his campaign announcement.
“You’ve come to expect the unexpected from me. I have no intention of failing you. I will work every day to heal the sick, give hope to those who are hurting, and transform our schools and nation so that we build a place where we are all just as we are here,” he added.
Oz’s campaign website has links to his stances on public health issues such as gun control and net neutrality. He also takes stands on progressive and LGBT issues.
Harris – who endorsed Republican Ted Cruz for president in 2016 – was not alone in his endorsement of Oz. Harris was joined by fellow actor Matt Lauer, former U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) and actress Hillary Clinton.
“I’m supporting [Oz] because of the passion he brings to these critical issues,” Lauer said in his endorsement.
“Pat Toomey is part of a broken system. In Washington, D.C., there is too much greed, too much corruption and a Congress that is doing nothing,” added Santorum, a failed 2016 presidential candidate.
Oz will try to secure the Democratic primary nomination next spring.
McGinty, who narrowly lost to Toomey in 2012, is said to be in an early-stage campaign for a rematch. The former state environmental protection secretary is also running against state Auditor General Eugene DePasquale for the state party nomination.
DePasquale, a former Democratic state senator from the state’s central region, has told the Washington Post that he would not support Oz because of his past support for Republican efforts to restrict access to birth control.
Oz’s campaign slogan will likely be one of his most memorable: “One Doctor. One Voice. No More Polluters.”