Oz Focuses on Crime and Energy in Statement to Pittsburgh Voters

Former President Donald Trump (L) looks on as Republican Senatorial candidate Mehmet Oz speaks during a "Save America" rally ahead of the midterm elections at Arnold Palmer Regional Airport in Latrobe, Pa., on Nov. 5, 2022. (Angela Weiss/AFP via Getty Images)

In his final remarks to Pittsburgh voters, Dr. Mehmet Oz, Pennsylvania’s Republican candidate for Senate, emphasized crime prevention and energy production.

In an article for the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, he pointed to the surging crime in the city in 2021.

“As violent crime increases in Western Pennsylvania, our communities have become less safe and businesses have become negatively impacted as a result,” he noted.

Data indicates that over the last three years, crime has significantly increased in the Steel City, with an increase of 26 percent in homicides during 2020–2021. Shootings and dispatches for shots fired also saw an upsurge during the same period, according to data from the City of Pittsburgh.

The candidate singled out the death of a 23-year-old who was shot and killed in the city’s Larimer section in July. The case marked the city’s 40th homicide this year.

Oz further reiterated his commitment to ensuring safer communities.

To that end, “I will vote to fund our police and support communities with the resources they need to keep violent criminals off the streets and ensure vulnerable populations have the help they need,” he said.

The celebrity heart surgeon noted the impact of the national fentanyl crisis on Pennsylvania.

“Simple necessities like baby formula have become harder to get than fentanyl in our cities,” he said.

The heroin and opioid epidemic is the number one public health and public safety challenge facing Pennsylvania, according to data from the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General. In 2021, 5,168 Pennsylvanians died from overdoses, or 14 daily cases on average.

The Republican nominee pointed to the 40-year-high inflation—8.2 percent in September—noting that it is crushing the middle and working classes with “gas prices having gone through the roof.”

Oz vowed to “fight for lower inflation and cut taxes … , make Pennsylvania a leader in energy production, decrease health care costs while improving outcomes and provide better schools with more choice.”

Agenda on the Right Track: Survey

The agenda that the Republican candidate put out while running against Democrat Lt. Gov. John Fetterman appears to align with public opinion, according to a recent survey.

According to the poll conducted by Third Way, a center-left think tank, released on Monday, Republicans continue to hold a double-digit advantage over their opponents on the economy and immigration.

Nearly 56 percent of respondents stated the Democrats “are not focused enough on the economy” with only 36 percent saying the same about their opponents.

Oz now holds a two-point lead over Fetterman, the Emerson College Polling/The Hill survey released on Nov. 3 shows.