(PatriotWise.com)- The Pennsylvania Republican Senate race has been a chaotic see-saw in the days leading up to Tuesday’s primary, with former frontrunner Dr. Mehmet Oz slipping in the polls, turning the race into a statistical three-way tie between Dr. Oz, businessman David McCormick, and come-from-behind candidate Kathy Barnette.
Former President Donald Trump stunned Pennsylvania voters last month when he endorsed Dr. Oz in the race. The endorsement was met with anger and blowback, resulting in many voters looking for an alternative. And for a while, Kathy Barnette appeared to be the alternative.
With Barnette’s sudden rise threatening his endorsed candidate, the former president released a statement late last week urging voters to stick with Dr. Oz, arguing that Barnette would not win in November.
Trump said Barnette has too many things in her past that she hasn’t “properly explained” that will drag her down in the general election. He also said if Barnette can eventually explain things, she would have a “wonderful future” in the party and Trump would support her.
It is likely dissatisfaction with the pro-abortion, anti-gun New Jersey resident Dr. Oz prompted the last-minute look at Barnette. And even if voters heed the former president’s advice and abandon Barnette, it doesn’t appear they’re abandoning her for Trump’s chosen candidate.
According to a Sunday report at Breitbart News, voters who veered toward Barnette are moving away from her in “droves” and placing their support behind Dave McCormick.
The most recent polling shows the race is still a virtual 3-way tie, but this time, it is Dave McCormick who is enjoying a slim lead over Barnette and Oz.
With about 15 percent still undecided, there remains a large chunk of Republican voters that could swing this race.
On the Democrat side, Pennsylvania Lt. Governor John Fetterman is the clear frontrunner in the race. Over the weekend, Fetterman announced that he suffered a stroke on Friday.
In a statement on Sunday, Fetterman said that he was “feeling much better” and his doctors found no cognitive damage from the stroke. He was kept under observation in the hospital over the weekend but vowed that he would be back on the campaign trail.
Pennsylvania’s primary is May 17.
