Republican Mehmet Oz has further put himself within striking distance of his Democrat opponent in the Pennsylvania U.S. Senate race, with the latest Fox News poll showing he trails by just four points.
Surveying 1,008 registered Pennsylvania voters between September 22-26 with a margin of error of plus or minus three percentage points, the new poll puts Fetterman at 45 percent while Oz stands at 41 percent, a full four points within the sampling error and a tremendous surge for Oz, who trailed Fetterman by 11 points in late July.
Neither candidate enjoys majority support, with the three percent going to independent Everrett Stern and 11 percent undecided.
“A large 82 percent majority feels certain they will vote, rating themselves a 10 out of 10, and among this subgroup, Fetterman is also ahead by 4 points, 48 percent – 44 percent,” Fox News noted.
Most importantly, the poll shows that Fetterman’s cognitive issues, as evidenced by his frequent incoherent gaffes on the campaign trail, have become a cause for concern among voters, while concerns of Mehmet Oz’s alleged carpetbagger status as a former New Jerseyan has decreased. A full 34 percent expressed extreme worry that Fetterman will not be mentally competent enough to perform his job, an 11-point jump from the same poll in July.
In July, 52 percent of those polled expressed concerns over Mehmet Oz’s carpetbagger status; that concern has since seen a nine-point drop.
On the issue of enthusiasm, Fetterman still outpaces Oz, with 62 percent of support versus Oz’s tepid 38 percent. Fetterman has also maintained party loyalty, enjoying 87 percent of support among Democrats while Oz enjoys 83 percent of support among Republicans. Republican pollster Daron Shaw said that Oz’s path to victory will be rallying support among his base.
“The Pennsylvania Senate seat remains perhaps the best opportunity for a Democratic pick-up this cycle,” Shaw said. “While Oz has closed the gap by rallying GOP support, he still needs to convince wavering Republicans and independents that he’s up to the task.”
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