McCormick concedes to Dr Oz in Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary

Former hedge fund CEO David McCormick conceded the Republican primary in Pennsylvania for U.S. Senate to celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz, ending his campaign as he acknowledged an ongoing statewide recount wouldn't give him enough votes to make up the deficit.

After a bitter campaign that blanketed the airwaves with millions of dollars in attack ads, McCormick issued a gracious concession Friday, vowing to help unite the party behind Oz.

"It's now clear to me with the recount largely complete that we have a nominee," McCormick said at a campaign party at a Pittsburgh hotel. "And today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory."

McCormick's concession cements a general election campaign between Oz, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, and Democrat John Fetterman in what is expected to be one of the nation's premier Senate contests.

Already, the national parties are sponsoring attack ads on TV in a presidential battleground state that is still roiled by Trump's baseless claims of a stolen election in 2020.

The result could help determine control of the closely divided chamber, and Democrats view it as perhaps their best opportunity to pick up a seat in the race to replace retiring two-term Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.

More than two weeks out from the primary election, Republicans had begun to consider a bitter primary becoming further drawn-out by a recount and lawsuits over mail-in ballots.

"I think it'll be fine, I think there will be zero problems," said Pat Poprik, the GOP chair in heavily populated Bucks County, where state party committee members had endorsed McCormick. "Many people I know liked both candidates, thought both were good and had to make a last-minute decision between...