Oprah Winfrey recently endorsed Democrat Senator John Fetterman, the current lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, who is running against Donald Trump-backed Dr. Mehmet Oz.
Winfrey’s endorsement drew considerable attention on Friday, especially because of his personal connection to Oz. It’s up to the people of Pennsylvania to decide,” he said.
At Thursday night’s online voting event, Winfrey said:
Winfrey named several other Democratic candidates she said she would support if she voted in their respective states. Gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke and Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Winfrey had already endorsed Wes Moore, the Democratic candidate for governor of Maryland.
Winfrey’s support came just days later in the November 8 midterm elections, making Pennsylvania’s Senate elections all the more tense. Fetterman, who saw his double-digit lead on several points in the race against Oz, now has just a half-point advantage based on the five-thirty-eight poll average.
The results of the race would be one of the biggest tests of former President Trump and Winfrey’s political clout.Winfrey’s endorsement of then-Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008 was widely reported. and attracted attention. Notably, Obama won that and the next presidential election.
However, not all of the few instances where Winfrey publicly put her support behind political candidates ended in victory.
One of Winfrey’s rare examples of political endorsement was Abrams when he ran for the seat of governor of Georgia in 2018. Winfrey joined Abrams on several campaign trails for Town Hall events.
Winfrey endorsed former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton when she ran for president against Trump, who won the 2016 presidential election. In 2013, Winfrey endorsed New Jersey Senator Cory Booker, NJ.com reported before his victory.
Meanwhile, Mr. Trump has had considerable success with his support in the 2022 midterm election cycle. In September, the majority of Trump-backed candidates in the Senate, House, and other state offices across the country won the primary, 91 percent, according to NPR’s tally. , as of early September, he endorsed more than 200 Republican candidates overall.
Although the outcome of the general election and the true impact of Trump’s support will not be known until after Election Day, many pro-Trump candidates, especially the Senate, are believed to be on their way to victory.
Of the 22 Republican candidates Trump has endorsed in the Senate, only two could lose the election. Newsweek analysis. A spokesperson for the former president told ABC News that his endorsement has had an “incredible impact” and touted his influence in the midterm elections.
The Oprah Winfrey Network declined to comment. Newsweek.
Newsweek A Trump spokesperson has been reached for comment.
Update 11/4/2022 1:15 PM: This article has been updated with additional information.
