Oz, Fetterman announce third quarter fundraising numbers in Pa. U.S. Senate race

The Democratic and Republican candidates for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania announced substantial fundraising numbers in the third quarter of 2022, further establishing the high-profile race as one of the most contentious and costly this election cycle.

Lt. Gov. John Fetterman’s campaign for U.S. Senate on Thursday announced a fundraising haul of $22 million, doubling last quarter’s total of $11 million and continuing to outraise Mehmet Oz, the GOP nominee in the Nov. 8 general election.

“We’re going up against an ultra-millionaire who has poured millions of dollars of his own money into this campaign and who has the backing of the special interest groups that are terrified of John,” Brendan McPhillips, Fetterman’s campaign manager, said. “The people of Pennsylvania have John’s back, and that’s something even Dr. Oz’s millions could never buy.”

Fetterman’s campaign said it received more than 595,000 donations from more than 330,000 unique donors, raising more than $48 million to date. The campaign added that zero dollars were self-funded.

Oz’s campaign said on Tuesday that it would report $17.2 million in the third quarter, including a $7 million personal loan from the celebrity doctor.

Neither campaign has released numbers for cash on hand, and the Federal Election Commission filing deadline is Oct. 15.

“Our momentum is building every day, and we’re uniting Republicans, Independents, and Democrats who want to see a change in Washington,” Michael Adams, the Oz campaign’s national finance director, said. “We’re proud of our success this quarter, and we’re just getting started.”

The race to replace retiring GOP U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey could determine which political party controls the upper chamber next year.

Despite Fetterman’s fundraising numbers, the race is close, according to polling released by Franklin & Marshall College last week.

Fetterman holds a narrow lead over Oz — 45 percent to 42 percent — when voters leaning toward a specific candidate are included, according to the most recent poll. That’s down from his nine-point lead in the F&M poll released in August.

Oz, who received an endorsement from former President Donald Trump, has improved his standing with  Republicans since August, with the poll showing 62 percent among Republicans. Fetterman received a larger share of Democrats, 76 percent.

Fetterman continues to lead against Oz with independent voters, holding a 45 percent to 34 percent advantage.

More voters believe Fetterman best understands the concerns of Pennsylvanians and is closest to their views on social issues, according to the poll. Oz, however, has an advantage with some voters seeing him as having policies that will improve their economic circumstances.

The poll, conducted Sept. 19-25, includes 517 registered voters and has a margin of error of plus or minus 5.6 percent.