ORLANDO, Fla. – In a crowded and combative elections that’s become the most expensive race in the nation this year, Mehmet Oz has one thing that his rivals for the GOP nomination in us-regions don’t have – massive name recognition.
“It’s a huge advantage to be known by everybody and not just that 96% of the time that they know me, it’s that they know me in a positive light,” Oz, well-known celebrity physician, cardiac surgeon, author and former longtime host of TV’s popular “Dr. Oz Show,” acknowledged in a Fox News Digital interview.
Oz is one of the leading contenders among a number of well-financed candidates in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. It’s a Senate battle in a key battleground state that could decide whether the Republicans win back the chamber’s majority in November’s midterm elections.
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Oz spoke with Fox News Friday in Orlando at the cpac” target=”_blank”>Conservative Political Action Conference< administration; Jeff Bartos, a real estate developer, philanthropist and the 2018 Republican nominee for lieutenant governor; and Carla Sands, a real estate executive and major Republican donor who served as ambassador to Denmark under former President Donald Trump.
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The race turned ugly the past couple of months, with many of the leading candidates, their campaigns and outside super PACs launching attacks and counterattacks.
“I never expected it would get ugly. Period. Certainly not this ugly,” Oz said.
“But I’m a porcupine,” he added. “If I fight to protect myself now, then I’ll fight to protect you later on. And I think those are the type of actions that a primary voting population expects. So they’re actually watching us carefully to see how well we’ll defend ourselves and fight for things we believe are important.”
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Looking ahead to Pennsylvania’s May 17 primary, Oz said, “Here’s the good news: Whoever survives the primary, they’re going to be really well tuned up for the general election, because I don’t know how much more Democrats can throw at us than were already throwing at each other.”
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