Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz are set to face off in their first and likely only debate on Tuesday night as they battle for the high-stakes Senate seat in Pennsylvania that is likely to determine which party gains control of Congress in November.
The highly anticipated debate is the first time the two candidates will appear face to face. Fetterman suffered a stroke in mid-May, causing him to be largely absent from the campaign trail over the summer as he recovered. Oz’s campaign has used this as a frequent attack against the Democrat, arguing his health would prevent him from fulfilling his duties as a senator.
Oz had also used the debate schedule as an attack, calling on Fetterman to agree to at least five debates before Election Day. However, Fetterman’s campaign took issue with Oz’s rhetoric regarding his health, questioning whether it was appropriate coming from a doctor.
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Recent polling shows a tightening race between the two candidates, with Fetterman leading Oz with an average of 2.3 percentage points, according to FiveThirtyEight.
Tuesday’s debate will be hosted by WHTM, an ABC affiliate in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. The event is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. EST.
