PENNSYLVANIA, USA — Mehmet Oz is running for Pennsylvania's open U.S. Senate seat in the upcoming Nov. 8 general election after winning the Republican nomination in May.
He is running for the highly contested U.S. Senate seat of the retiring Sen. Pat Toomey, who has held the position since 2011.
Former president Donald Trump endorsed Oz for the Senate seat in April.
According to his campaign website, Oz is running on the platforms of "modernizing health care so it’s more affordable and accessible, fighting for more school choice for all Americans, protecting us by securing our borders and stopping illegal immigration, telling the truth about corporate America like how pharmaceutical companies charge too much for prescription drugs, or making sure people know the truth about COVID."
Oz currently lives in Bryn Athyn with his wife Lisa, with whom he has four children. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, Oz previously lived in North Jersey for more than 30 years and relocated to Pennsylvania in late 2020.
Oz is best known for his 13-season hosting run on "The Dr. Oz Show," a daytime TV program that discussed wide-ranging topics in health and wellness. The show officially ended in January of 2022 so Oz could focus on his political run. Oz, who is a heart surgeon, also regularly appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
Oz was born in Cleveland, Ohio and grew up in Wilmington, Delaware as the son of Turkish immigrants. He graduated from Harvard University in 1982 before receiving a joint MD and MBA from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Wharton Business School in 1986.
After his residency at New York–Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, Oz held multiple positions at both the hospital and Columbia University.
In order to maintain his dual citizenship in Turkey, he also served in the Turkish military around his time in school. However, he said in March he will denounce his dual citizenship if elected to the Senate.