Turkish doctor Mehmet Oz loses Senate race in US midterm elections

Dr. Mehmet Oz, a controversial Republican candidate for the United States Senate has lost the race in Pennsylvania to Democratic John Fetterman in midterm elections, AP reported on early Wednesday. 

Flipping a Republican-held seat, Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor Fetterman won 50.1 percent of the vote, while Oz’s approval rate stood at 47.5 percent.

Holding both Turkish and the US citizenships, Oz was strongly criticized over his Turkey ties during the election campaign.

The 62-year-old retired surgeon who was famed as a TV host, was the first Muslim candidate to be nominated by either major party for the US Senate.

Endorsed by former President Donald Trump, Oz’s allegiance to the United States was questioned as he was holding a Turkish citizenship, served in Turkish military and voted in Turkey’s 2018 elections. Following criticism that his ties to Turkey would compromise him as a US Senator, Oz in May said he will renounce his Turkish citizenship if elected.

In September, Oz one more time made the headlines as the Daily Beast claimed that he owned an undisclosed condo in Fairview, New Jersey, housing Armenian Genocide deniers. 

All 435 seats in the House of Representatives and 35 out of 100 seats in the Senate were contested in the US midterm elections held on Tuesday.