What to know about Pennsylvania senator candidate Mehmet Oz

Story posted October 31, 2022 in CommRadio, News by Emily McGlynn

Dr. Mehmet Oz is a Turkish-American television presenter, author, politician, professor emeritus and retired cardiothoracic surgeon. He taught surgery at Columbia University and later became a recurring guest on “The Oprah Winfrey Show.”

In 2009, “The Dr. Oz Show” launched where Oz gave his professional advice about medical matters and health. Oz was appointed to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition by President Donald Trump in 2018 and was removed by President Joe Biden.

Oz announced in 2021 that he would run for Senate as a Republican to represent Pennsylvania. Oz is the first Muslim candidate to be nominated by either major party. The takeaways from the Pennsylvania Senate Debate dealt with minimum wage, abortion rights and fracking.

Oz didn’t directly address whether the federal government should or shouldn’t raise the minimum wage. He said that Pennsylvanians should be making far more than $15 per hour but “market forces” naturally allow citizens to make that money.

For abortion rights, Oz thinks that the federal government should not be involved in deciding abortion bans or cases not involving rape, incest, or the life of the mother. Abortion decisions should be between women, doctors and local political leaders, according to Oz.

Lastly, Oz is in support of fracking because it creates jobs. However, he wants more health studies done on fracking. Under the issues tab on Dr. Oz’s website, it states that he wants to make healthcare more affordable and accessible, fight for school choice, and protect borders.

Oz addresses 17 issues on his website. For more detail about what Oz believes in and what he intends to do, visit https://doctoroz.com/issues/.

Emily McGlynn is a third-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact her, email esm5378@psu.edu.