Fetterman says it raised $1M in 3 hours after heated Pennsylvania Senate debate with Oz – NBC10 Philadelphia

• Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s campaign said it raised more than $1 million in just three hours after a debate with Dr. Mehmet Oz.
• The debate drew attention to Fetterman’s ongoing struggles since he suffered a life-threatening stroke in May that sidelined him from the campaign trail for several months.
• On abortion, a major issue in the midterms since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Oz was criticized by critics watching the debate for saying that “local political leaders” should have a say in abortion decisions.

Pennsylvania Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s campaign said Wednesday it raised more than $1 million in just three hours after Debate of the candidate for the Senate from the Democratic Party with his Republican rival, Dr. Mehmet Oz.

The “unprecedented” traffic shows “deep national enthusiasm” for Fetterman, his company said.

The only showdown between Fetterman, the progressive former mayor of Braddock, and Oz, the famous doctor who is backed by the former president Donald Trumpwas the culmination of one of the most important election races in the November 8th midterm elections.

It also put a spotlight on Fetterman’s ongoing struggle after suffering a life-threatening stroke in May that sidelined him from the campaign trail for several months.

So far, the Democrat’s doctors say he is recovering wellhis ongoing problems with auditory processing have forced him to rely on a live caption system in recent interviews and during Tuesday night’s debate.

But even with the help of technology, Fetterman had serious trouble formulating some sentences and giving convincing answers during the hour-long event in Harrisburg.

He acknowledged his difficult recovery at the start and end of the debate, saying his campaign “is about fighting for anyone in Pennsylvania who has ever been knocked down and had to get back up.”

Fetterman’s own company had lowered expectations ahead of the debate, warning that “this is not John’s format” and that the use of closed captioning could lead to awkward moments.

“It’s clear that the people of Pennsylvania support John in this race,” Fetterman’s campaign manager Brandon McPhillips said in a press release announcing the surprise fundraiser after the debate.

“Tonight they put on a giant show of support for John and his performance in the debate. We are honored and grateful for the support going into the last two weeks of the race,” said McPhillips.

During live debates, candidates asked questions about crime, economic and social issues, and about their lives.

On abortion, a major issue in the midterms since the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, Oz was criticized by critics watching the debate for saying that “local political leaders” should have a say in abortion decisions. “I want women, doctors, local political leaders — allowing the democracy that has always allowed our country to thrive — to put forward the best ideas so that states can decide for themselves,” Oz said.

Fetterman, meanwhile, appeared to stumble when asked to reconcile his current support for fracking with his previous statements that he had “never” supported fracking.

Each candidate also repeatedly accused the other of lying, echoing the aggressively angry tone that has defined the key Pennsylvania Senate race for months.

Both Democrats and Republicans see the state seat as a must-win on their way to control the Senate.

Fetterman and Oz are vying to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey at the end of his term. Opening in Pennsylvania, where the president Joe Biden defeating Trump in 2020 gives Democrats one of their best chances to flip a Republican-held seat and hold on to their razor-thin Senate majority through an adverse political cycle.

With Election Day less than two weeks away, the candidates appear to be in a deadlock, according to the latest polling averages compiled RealClearPolitics and Five thirty eight.