Oz V. McCormick: PA GOP Senate Primary Race Remains Too Close To Call

11:05 p.m.

The race has easily become one of the tightest of the night across the nation, as it's still too close to call with 87 percent of precincts reporting. Barnette appears to have fallen out, while the margin between McCormick and Oz is ever-narrowing.

• Dave McCormick: 329,163
• Mehmet Oz: 326,965

As Cook Political Report Editor Dave Wasserman notes, Pennsylvania automatically recounts any race that falls within less than 0.5 percent. The margin is now below that, which could mean a protracted race over days or weeks. Either way, any ensuing controversy might be welcomed by Democratic candidate John Fetterman.

10:20 p.m.

With just over 66 percent of precincts reporting, McCormick and Oz are in a tight battle. Here's where things stand:

• Dave McCormick: 222,757
• Mehmet Oz: 214,400
• Kathy Barnette: 161,892

10 p.m.

With 47 percent reporting, Oz has kept on pace with McCormick while Barnette has fallen slightly off:

• Dave McCormick: 154,930
• Mehmet Oz: 145,151
• Kathy Barnette: 110,875

9:35 p.m.

Dave McCormick holds the early lead, but it's a tight three way race from the get-go in the Republican primary for U.S. Senator. Roughly 34 percent of precincts have reported.

• Dave McCormick: 107,549
• Kathy Barnette: 76,397
• Mehmet Oz: 99,181

8 p.m.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. and results will begin to trickle in shortly. Check back with Patch for details and live results as they become available.

Original story

PENNSYLVANIA — One of the most contentious and hotly contested primaries in the nation took center stage in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, as seven Republican candidates vied in the primary to become the state's next U.S. Senator. The open Senate seat, being vacated by outgoing U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey, has long been viewed as potentially transformational to the balance of power in Congress.

While celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz continues to hold a narrow lead in polls heading into Election Day, he faces a strong field of challengers that includes David McCormick, Under Secretary of the U.S. Treasury for International Affairs, and Jeff Bartos, a businessman and the 2018 Republican lieutenant governor candidate.

With former President Donald Trump backing Oz — a move that split MAGA supporters and party elite alike — other candidates who have been more faithful to Trump's brand find themselves in an unusual position.

One of them is Kathy Barnette, the former Fox News commentator and candidate for U.S. Congress in Montgomery County in 2020. While Barnette was beat soundly by now U.S. Rep. Madeleine Dean, she gained a national profile when her campaign was among the first to file a lawsuit over mail-in balloting and other alleged issues, all later proven false, on Election Day.

While she entered the race as an underdog behind less well known names like Oz, McCormick, and Bartos, she has seen a meteoric rise in the polls in recent days, bringing her into the forefront of the race with the long-leading trio.

Heading into Election Day, Oz had 26.8 percent of support, Barnette 24.2, and McCormick 19.6.

Sean Gale, Carla Sands, and George Bochetto have also received degrees of support and remain on the ballot Tuesday.

The winner is likely to face Democratic frontrunner and heavy favorite John Fetterman in the general election. However, Fetterman still has a host of challengers in the mix, including U.S. Rep. Conor Lamb and State Sen. Malcolm Kenyatta.