Primary elections: Fetterman, Oz and Mastriano lead Pennsylvania surveys, poll says

Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor, progressive Democrat John Fetterman, is ahead in his party for the U.S. Senate primary elections, while Republicans would vote for Mehmet Oz in the Senate primaries if they were held today, according to a poll from Franklin and Marshall College released on Thursday, April 14.

The most recent Franklin and Marshall poll, conducted between March 30 and April 10, polled 785 registered Pennsylvania voters. 356 respondents identified as Democrats, 317 as Republicans, and 112 as independents.

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Around four out of 10 Pennsylvanians are keen to vote for John Fetterman, the poll says. Fetterman, a 52-year-old politician, has served as Pennsylvania’s Lieutenant Governor since 2019. From 2005 until 2019, he was the Mayor of Braddock. He ran for the United States Senate in Pennsylvania six years ago.

Conor Lamb, a centrist, has 17 percent of the vote. In addition, 37% are not clear or would vote for someone other than Fetterman, Lamb, Malcolm Kenyatta, Kevin Baumlin, or Alex Khalil.

Republicans undecided in PA

In contrast, 16% of Republicans would vote for Mehmet Oz for Senate if the primaries were today. That figure gives him a tiny lead over David McCormick, who garnered 15% of the support.

“Dr. Oz” is a Turkish-American television personality, author, and retired physician whose pseudoscience and alternative medicine endorsements have been widely questioned.

Oz’s slim lead hides a major problem with his overall electability. According to the Franklin and Marshall College research, Oz is viewed “strongly adversely” by 24 percent of Republicans. He is seen as a “strongly favorably” candidate by only 5% of voters.

While it’s almost certain that current Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro will run for Governor as a Democrat, things are less definite on the Republican side for the primary elections.

With 15% of the Republican preferences is Douglas Mastriano, a retired Colonel of the United States Army and state senator for Pennsylvania’s 33rd District. People commonly refer to him as a Christian nationalist.

Indeed, Mastriano is a divisive figure. He led efforts to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election, which Donald Trump supporters claimed were rigged. He also has strong views on Muslims and the COVID-19 pandemic.

Mastriano is followed by William McSwain (12%) and Low Barletta (10%). According to the poll, if the Republican primary contest for Governor were held today, 40% of voters would have no idea who to vote for.

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