Pennsylvania US Senate Candidate Kathy Barnette Encourages Residents To Cast Vote In Primary Election: 'Don't Allow Anything To Discourage You'
HUNTINGDON VALLEY, Pa. (CBS) -- Since the polls opened, people have come and cast their vote at the Huntingdon Valley Library in the 2022 Pennsylvania primary, but none were more recognizable than Kathy Barnette. The United States Senate candidate is hoping Tuesday's turnout will help her secure the nomination.
Barnette was all smiles as she and her family arrived at the Huntingdon Valley Library in Montgomery County to cast their primary votes in person.
"Make sure you're coming out and voting," Barnette said. "Don't allow anything to discourage you. Every single Republican, you need to be at these polls today and you need to make sure that your voice is heard."
VOTER GUIDE: Pennsylvania Primary Election 2022
Barnette has been fighting hard to secure the GOP Senate nomination. She's been surging in the polls of late, but according to RealClearPolitics.com, she is still trailing Dr. Mehmet Oz by a couple of percentage points heading into primary day, with Dave McCormick not far behind them.
Political experts say she came out of nowhere, an underdog who surged to the top late in the game and with far less money.
"I know who Pennsylvanians are, and because of that, I feel very confident in my odds today," Barnette said.
But Barnette is battling some backlash after some images recently surfaced appearing to show her marching to the capitol on Jan. 6 with members of the extremist group, the Proud Boys.
Reporter: "Do you have any connection to the Proud Boys?"
Barnette: "Thank you guys so much."
Barnette wouldn't comment on the controversy, and it didn't deter supporters like Conrad Kraus from voting for her.
"She came up from nothing," Kraus said. "Very important, she came up from nothing. She's not going into the office as a multimillionaire. She knows how to make a buck."
Eyewitness News was at the Star Barn in Elizabethtown, Lancaster County, on Tuesday evening, the home base of the Barnette campaign.
Barnette served in the Armed Forces Reserves, was an adjunct professor of corporate finance and a political commenter.
Walking into the polls to vote Mehmet Oz with my wife Lisa! pic.twitter.com/5GGjCNdlLL
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) May 17, 2022
Oz did not disclose where or how he planned to vote, but tweeted out a picture earlier Tuesday morning with the caption, "Walking into the polls to vote Mehmet Oz with my wife Lisa!"
Oz had an address about a mile or two from here in Bryn Athyn. Eyewitness News has been told he cast his ballot in the borough earlier Tuesday morning.
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CBS3's Ross DiMattei and Kerri Corrado contributed to this report.