Democrats Hochul and Fetterman would prevail in New York and Pennsylvania 2:19
(CNN) --
At 9:30 am ET on Wednesday, Republican candidate Mehmet Oz did something that used to be de rigueur: He called John Fetterman to concede the Pennsylvania Senate race.
And then he issued a statement that said, in part: “We are facing big problems as a country and we need everyone to put down their partisan swords and focus on getting the job done.
With bold leadership that brings people together, we can create real change.”
Which was kind.
And kind.
And the kind of words that were once an accepted part of campaigning, especially for losers.
But that is not the moment in which we find ourselves.
Especially for candidates, like Oz, who were endorsed and promoted by former President Donald Trump.
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Trump has spent the last two years falsely insisting that the 2020 election was stolen from him and making that election denial a litmus test for candidates who want his support.
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The former president endorsed Oz in a crowded Republican primary race in the spring.
"This is about winning elections to stop maniacs on the radical left from destroying our country," Trump said in announcing the endorsement.
When the race between Oz and businessman Dave McCormick was close, Trump advised Oz to follow his playbook for 2020. "Dr. Oz should declare victory," Trump said in a tweet on his Truth Social site. It makes it that much harder for them to cheat on ballots they 'just found.'”
Pennsylvania Republican Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz speaks as former President Donald Trump listens at a rally to support local candidates in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Oz didn't heed that advice, opting instead to wait until the final tally showed he had won, narrowly.
(what a novel!)
Oz has always been a bit of an outsider in the cabal of Trump-backed candidates.
Unlike many of those candidates, Oz has not claimed the 2020 election was stolen, though he did say "there was definitely fraud."
In an April debate in which his Republican opponents heavily criticized him as insufficiently conservative, Oz said, "We can't put the 2020 election behind us."
Oz later said that he would have voted to certify the results of the 2020 election if he were in office.
"I wouldn't have objected," Oz said in September.
And while Oz and Republicans sought to highlight Fetterman's health for much of the general election, Oz focused on bringing "balance" to the Senate in the final days of the race, presenting himself as a moderate voice who could navigate between the extremes within the two parties.
Oz's decision to formally concede, call out his opponent and issue a statement urging cooperation after a hard-fought campaign stands out within the Republican Party today.
Which is a real shame.
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