Celebrity surgeon Dr. Öz running for Senate in Pennsylvania

Dr. Mehmet Öz, the celebrity heart surgeon best known as the host of TV's Dr. Öz Show after rocketing to fame on Oprah Winfrey's show, announced on Nov. 30 that he is running for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat as a Republican.

Öz, 61, will bring his unrivaled name recognition and wealth to a wide-open race that is expected to among the nation's most competitive and could determine control of the Senate in next year's election.

Oz - a longtime New Jersey resident - enters a Republican field that is resetting with an influx of candidates and a new opportunity to appeal to voters loyal to former President Donald Trump, now that the candidate endorsed by Trump has just exited the race.
In a video message on social media, Öz casts himself as a sort of champion for people's health, who "took on the medical establishment to argue against costly drugs and skyrocketing medical bills" and is prepared to fight a government that he said has mishandled the COVID-19 pandemic.

Öz also makes a pitch to Trump loyalists - and possibly Trump, too- by invoking Trump's slogan for his governing philosophy, "America first."

"As a heart surgeon, I know how precious life is," Öz says. "Pennsylvania needs a conservative who will put America first, one who can reignite our divine spark, bravely fight for freedom and tell it like it is."

Öz in recent days has told associates and Republicans in Pennsylvania of his plans and, according to a TV show spokesperson, has lived and voted in Pennsylvania since last year.

As one of the nation's biggest presidential electoral prizes, Pennsylvania put Democrat Joe Biden over the top in last year's election. His 1 percentage point victory put the swing state back in Democratic hands after Trump won it...