Madison Kwiecinski – Editor-in-Chief

mvk5945@psu.edu

The Pennsylvania Senate race has drawn national attention this year, with candidates Dr. Oz and John Fetterman running a tight race. The Senate currently has a 50/50 split, with all ties being broken by Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, meaning this Senate seat has the power to flip the majority of the Senate. Below you will find a brief background and summary of each of the candidates’ policies, as well as a list of their highlighted campaign positions. Look out for future editions of the Behrend Beacon, where we will examine the candidates policies in more detail. 

John Fetterman

First, it is important to note that Fetterman is a unique character in politics, often to be seen wearing hoodies at campaign events or basketball shorts out in public, rather than the typical suit and tie outfit you see most politicians in. His campaign website takes pride in advertising him as “a different kind of democrat,” and “not your typical politician.” 

Fetterman is a Pennsylvania native, who was born to two teenage parents in York, PA. According to his campaign site, “He joined AmeriCorps and served in Pittsburgh’s historic Hill District, where he helped set up the first computer labs in the neighborhood and taught GED classes to young mothers and fathers,” and then proceeded to get his Masters in Public Policy from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government.

Fetterman moved to Braddock, PA to start a GED program in the community, and eventually was elected Mayor of Braddock, a position he held for 13 years. In 2018 Fetterman ran for and was elected to be PA Lt. Governor, a position he still currently holds. 

“He supported legalizing marijuana before it was popular, officiated a same-sex marriage before it was legal, and pushed for single payer healthcare long before it was mainstream. The issues John is running on now are the same issues he’s been working on for the last two decades,” reads Fetterman’s campaign site, as its opening message. 

Listed below are the highlighted campaign issues on johnfetterman.com/issues/ in order of which they appear: 

• Preparing the Next Generation
• Keeping Our Promise to Veterans
• Investing in Rural Communities
• Respecting Our Seniors
• Safeguarding Our Democracy
• Delivering Criminal Justice Reform
• Building a Humane, Safe, and Secure Immigration System
• Protecting Women’s Reproductive Freedom
• Guaranteeing Health Care
• Legalizing Cannabis
• Securing LGBTQIA+ Rights
• Taking on Crime
• Fighting Inflation + Lowering Costs
• Promoting American Energy + Building a Clean Energy Future
• Supporting Workers + the Union Way of Life
• Maintaining Smart Global Leadership 

Dr. Oz

Dr. Oz, who is perhaps best-known for his Emmy award-winning TV series “The Dr. Oz Show” is the GOP candidate for the Pennsylvania Senate seat. He serves as Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, and also was an Attending Physician at NY Presbyterian-Columbia Medical Center. 

His campaign website reads, “Dr. Oz has performed thousands of heart operations and invented life-saving devices to repair heart valves.” It also states that he lives in Bryn Athyn, PA, in the same house he married his wife Lisa in 37 years ago. 

Oz places emphasis in his campaign on “empowerment, personal responsibility, and freedom.” His website builds on the idea that PA has been what failed leadership looks like, and that we need less “feckless” people in Congress, something he plans to be for the people of Pennsylvania. His site also reiterates a policy of giving the power back to the people, as “it all starts with YOU.”

Listed below are the highlighted campaign issues on doctoroz.com/issues/ in order of which they appear:

• Energy Independence 
• Response to COVID-19
• Grow Our Economy
• Restore Our Service
• Stop Illegal Immigration 
• Fix Health Care
• Protect Innocent Life 
• Improve Education 
• Supporting Our Veterans 
• Get Tough on China 
• Second Amendment 
• Law Enforcement 
• Pennsylvania First 
• Secure Elections 
• Small Business
• Free Speech 
• Israel, a critical ally