Daytime talk show veteran Dr. Mehmet Oz has declared himself the “presumptive winner” of the Pennsylvania primary elections held earlier this year. Votes are still being counted nearly two weeks after the election, and a recount is already underway.
Still, Oz has been urged by 45th President Donald Trump to declare victory, as the former president has expressed doubts in Pennsylvania’s ability to hold a legitimate election in a timely manner.
Oz’s announcement came after his opponent David McCormick sued to force Pennsylvania to count undated mail-in ballots, which is currently against the law in that state. McCormick was favored in mail in voting.
The Trump-endorsed Republican made the statement in a video posted to his social media accounts that seemed to indicate he is taking a general election posture as the presumptive winner, and will not wait until June 7 to hear the results of the recount. It is not clear when Pennsylvania will be done counting votes.
“It’s time to unite,” wrote Oz on Twitter. In the video, he said “I am blessed to have earned the presumptive nomination to the United States Senate.”
It's time to unite. I want to hear your ideas and make this country’s future as bright as it has ever been. With more freedom, less big government, and by empowering our people, America’s light will shine brighter than ever. pic.twitter.com/yWK5VhCk8P
— Dr. Mehmet Oz (@DrOz) May 27, 2022
Earlier this week Valiant News reported that Oz only leads McCormick by around 900 votes, well within the 0.5% that triggers an automatic recount in Pennsylvania. That recount has been ordered, and cannot be stopped unless McCormick were to concede the race to Oz.
McCormick, meanwhile, has sued to have up to 860 mail-in ballots that were not dated – a legal requirement for the ballot to be considered valid – counted in the election. Oz, the Republican Party of Pennsylvania, and the Republican National Committee have intervened to stop McCormick’s lawsuit.
At the same time, earlier this week it was reported that there are also around 10,000 ballots that still require adjudication. This is a process by which election workers view a damaged ballot and fill in a new ballot with the voter’s intentions.
It is unclear how many of these damaged ballots are Republican, or when the vote tabulating process will be complete.
