Did John Fetterman's debate performance hurt his chances of winning the election?

The candidate was still recovering from his stroke when he went toe-to-toe with TV personality Dr. Oz

John Fetterman.
(Image credit: Illustrated | Getty Images)

On Oct. 25, Pennsylvania Senate candidates Lt. Gov. John Fetterman and TV host Dr. Mehmet Oz had their first and only debate.

Critics observed that Fetterman, the Democrat in the race, was incredibly "rocky" throughout the debate, with some going as far as to characterize his performance as "disastrous." This was primarily chalked up to the fact that Fetterman, never known to be a strong debater, had a stroke back in May resulting in audio processing and speech problems; while his doctor has insisted the candidate "should be able to campaign and serve in the U.S. Senate without a problem," Republicans have seized on his health issues as a sign he's not fit for office. Meanwhile, Oz — naturally adept at speaking on TV given his experience hosting his own show — was widely seen as the runaway winner of the night. "Why the hell did Fetterman agree to this?" one Democratic lawmaker asked Axios in the aftermath. "This will obviously raise more questions than answers about John's health."

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Devika Rao, The Week US

 Devika Rao has worked as a staff writer at The Week since 2022, covering science, the environment, climate and business. She previously worked as a policy associate for a nonprofit organization advocating for environmental action from a business perspective.