Senate candidates Oz And Fetterman exchange barbs as they campaign in Pittsburgh area
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - Both candidates for United States senator, Republican Mehmet Oz and Democrat John Fetterman, campaigned in the Pittsburgh region on Tuesday.
As KDKA political editor Jon Delano reports, it comes as both candidates increase their attacks on each other.
Some polls show a tightening of the race between Fetterman and Oz. On Tuesday, they each campaigned in a region that is must-win for both.
Campaigning in Zelienople Tuesday morning, Oz toured a maker of industrial commercial fans and attacked Fetterman for a radical left agenda.
"The left radical side of the American political spectrum firmly believes we need more government. Folks like me who represent most of the rest of the country believe in American individualism, exceptionalism, and trust our country and the American people," Oz told a group at Robinson Fans.
Oz criticized Fetterman on crime and open borders that he said was allowing drug cartels to bring fentanyl to Pennsylvania.
"I believe we can have safe city streets. My opponent, John Fetterman, wants to release one-third of all prisoners," says Oz.
"I want a secure border and then allow legal immigration like my father experienced. Bring people in that we want to bring in. Did I get it right?" he said to cheers.
And he accused Fetterman of not campaigning as he recovers from his stroke.
"My opponent is not going anywhere. John Fetterman has done only one campaign event in three and a half months."
Fetterman denies that, noting many Zoom appearances while recovering and now he says he's campaigning in person, like a rally at United Steelworkers headquarters in Pittsburgh late Tuesday.
"With steelworkers, you were the very first endorsement my campaign ever got in this race," Fetterman told a rally.
Fetterman went right after Oz, noting Oz's ten homes, while citing his own home in Braddock across from a steel mill.
"I live in the shadow of the Edgar Thompson plant. Let me ask you a question: of the ten homes that Dr. Oz has, do you think any of them have a steel plant across any of them?"
"No," shouted the crowd.
Fetterman made fun of Oz's reference to a veggie tray as crudité.
"Dr. Oz, crudité comes to his mind. It's not steelworkers. But you know what comes to my mind also? Is making sure that I'm going to be proud to stand and defend the union way of life," said Fetterman.
With the election just eleven weeks away, both candidates so far seem to ignore the attacks of the other. But this campaign is only beginning to heat up.
