This browser does not support the Video element.
Race for Pennsylvania GOP Senate candidate remains tightly contested
FOX 29's Chris O'Connell is in Bucks County in the middle of a tense election race as votes roll in for the GOP Senate.
HARRISBURG, Pa. - Pennsylvania voters made their voices heard in Tuesday's primary election, casting ballots in several hotly contested races including U.S. Senate and governor.
Tuesday’s contests could ultimately determine how competitive the general election will be this fall, when control of Congress, governor’s mansions and key elections posts are up for grabs with Sen. Pat Toomey and Gov. Tom Wolf both set to leave office.
Election results can be found below as they come in, or by clicking here.
Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has won the Democratic nomination for Pennsylvania's open Senate seat in one of the nation’s most competitive races, according to the Associated Press.
Fetterman, 52, defeated four other Democratic Party nominations, including emergency room physician Kevin Baumlin, U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb of suburban Pittsburgh, second-term state Rep. Malcolm Kenyatta of Philadelphia and liberal activist Alex Khalil.
The state’s lieutenant governor led polls and fundraising throughout the divisive race. He also made headlines over the weekend when he announced that he had suffered a stroke on Friday. He said the stroke was caused by a heart condition called atrial fibrillation and that his doctors say he’s on the path to a full recovery.
On the Republican side of the senate race, Donald Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz has divided conservatives who are typically in lockstep with Trump. Some are suspicious of the ideological leanings of the celebrity heart surgeon who gained fame as a frequent guest on Oprah Winfrey's talk show. Oz has spent much of the campaign in a heated fight with former hedge fund CEO David McCormick.
That's allowed commentator Kathy Barnette to emerge in the final days of the primary as a conservative alternative to both Oz and McCormick.
Meanwhile, the stage is set for Pennsylvania's gubernatorial election in November. Democrat Josh Shapiro, who ran uncontested, will square off against Doug Mastriano.
Mastriano defeated a nine-person Republican field, including former U.S. Rep. Lou Barletta, President pro tempore of the, cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Nche Zama, Montgomery County Commissioner Joseph Gale, political strategist Charlie Gerow, former U.S. Attorney William McSwain and former Delaware County Councilmember Dave White.
A state senator since 2019, Mastriano faced fierce opposition from fellow Republicans who claimed he was too far right to win in a general election.
"Mastriano has appeal to base Republicans, but I fear the Democrats will destroy him with swing voters," said Kate Ward, state Senate’s Republican floor leader. "Winning the primary and losing the general because the candidate is unable to get the voters in the middle, isn’t a win."
In 2020, Mastriano emerged as an unexpected rising force in right-wing politics.