Oz Declared Winner in Pennsylvania Senate Republican Primary

It's official. Mehmet Oz has become the Republican nominee for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania. Oz received the coveted nomination after his rival, Dave McCormick, conceded on Friday.

McCormick announced the news to his supporters at a campaign event. Afterward, he made his support for Oz's candidacy clear.

CNN further reports:

“We came so close,” McCormick told supporters, pointing to the “razor thin” margin.

“It's now clear to me with the recount largely complete, that we have a nominee. And today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory. And I told him, what I always said to you, that I will do my part to try to unite Republicans and Pennsylvanians behind his candidacy,” McCormick said.

The recount began one week ago, and counties faced a Wednesday deadline to report their results. Lawyers for Oz and McCormick had fought county by county over provisional ballots.

McCormick's campaign had also fought in court to have mail-in ballots without a handwritten date on the return envelope counted; Pennsylvania officials had said there were about 850 such ballots. A Pennsylvania judge sided with McCormick on Thursday, ordering the counties to begin counting those ballots, though the Republican National Committee had appealed that ruling Friday. The RNC, the state GOP and Oz's campaign had argued that those ballots should not be counted.

Oz faces Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in what is expected to be a close-fought general election.

Fetterman continues to rest following his stroke last month. While Fetterman's wife says his prognosis is good, The New York Times interviewed multiple doctors who fear the candidate's condition may be far more severe than his campaign has let on.

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