(Mark Pellin, Headline USA) Leftists can conveniently ignore the preemptive election-denying narrative they were building in Pennsylvania, if projections ring true and Democrat John Fetterman hangs on to his lead in the state’s hotly-contested US Senate tilt against Republican Mehmet Oz.
Running completely contrary to dire warnings from Democrats and mainstream media that election results in key states like Pennsylvania would likely take days, perhaps weeks to tally, multiple media outlets called the race for Fetterman early Wednesday morning.
A projection from NBC News had Fetterman failing to clear a 50% threshold, but edging Oz 49.9 to 47.6%. If the victory holds, it would represent a significant flip for Democrats, who would take control of the Senate seat of retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey.
Despite barely being able to form coherent sentences during a debate last month, Fetterman, or someone on his campaign team, was able to string together a victory declaration for Twitter.
It's official. I will be the next U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania.
We bet on the people of Pennsylvania – and you didn’t let us down
And I won’t let you down. Thank you.
— John Fetterman (@JohnFetterman) November 9, 2022
The Trump-backed Oz had not conceded the election as of early Wednesday morning.
The election has unfolded under close scrutiny, with a late-breaking news report from Project Veritas tossing even more controversy on the race. The outlet released video footage that allegedly showed Democrat operatives engaging in “illegal electioneering” for Fetterman and Democrat Lt. Gov. Candidate Josh Shapiro, who was also a projected winner Tuesday.
BREAKING Project Veritas: #Pennsylvania Election Board Official ILLEGALLY Asks Journalist to "Vote Democrat down ballot" at Philadelphia Polling Location
Judge of Elections: ‘I agree with [Project Veritas Action]…this doesn’t look good’#Election2022 #Midterms2022 pic.twitter.com/We5lzcmvAl
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) November 9, 2022
Fetterman’s unlikely win sparked a backlash with some conservative pundits calling it a missed opportunity that helped turn a red wave to a red ripple. Trump’s fervent backing and endorsement of a largely politically unpopular Oz did not go unnoticed.
“Oz had historically bad favorable ratings, yet Donald Trump, with some influence from Sean Hannity, pulled him over the finish line anyway,” RedState’s Bonchie wrote, noting that most of Trump’s stumps in Pennsylvania were focused on Trump not Oz.
“It doesn’t matter whether you are indifferent toward Trump or think he’s a political savior,” Bonchie wrote. “This is not how to win elections. Something has to change, and in more ways than one.
“We can’t keep running the same play. I’m tired of losing, and I hope you are tired of it too.”
