Oz and Fetterman to meet in their only debate in heated Pennsylvania Senate race

Voter apathy rides high in Keystone state as the two candidates have been unable to generate much enthusiasm

A sign outside the Pennsylvania Senate debate between Democratic candidate John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, on Tuesday. EPA

A truck promoting Mr Fetterman drives by the site of his debate with Dr Oz in Harrisburg. EPA

Oz and Fetterman signs in Pennsylvania

All in readiness for the Fetterman-Oz debate. EPA

Pennsylvania's Lieutenant Governor John Fetterman waves to supporters after speaking at Dickinson Square Park in Philadelphia on Sunday. AFP

Dr Oz visits the Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 91 in West Homestead, Pennslyvania, last week. AP

A voting machine at city hall in Philadelphia, ready for the midterm elections. AFP

Mr Fetterman speaks to supporters on Sunday. AFP

Dr Oz greets supporters after a community discussion on safer streets, on October 13 in Philadelphia. AFP

Candidates' names on the screen of a voting machine at city hall in Philadelphia on Monday. AFP

Pennsylvania’s high stakes Senate race will feature the first and only face-off between Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Mehmet Oz in a televised debate on Tuesday night, as attacks get more personal and scathing between the two candidates.

The debate takes place in the state's capital of Harrisburg and comes as poll numbers tighten between the two candidates — a CBS poll released on Tuesday has Mr Fetterman with a narrow two-point advantage.

Mr Fetterman will require closed captioning (real-time transcript) during the debate to help with auditory issues caused by a stroke he suffered this year — which Oz has seized upon, questioning his ability to serve.

Mr Fetterman’s doctor released a letter last week confirming that his fitness to serve “has no work restrictions and can work full duty in public office".

US President Joe Biden narrowly won Pennsylvania in 2020 against Donald Trump by 1.17 per cent. The attacks and campaign stumps have sharpened between the candidates in the past two weeks, with Mr Biden and former president Barack Obama joining Mr Fetterman on the campaign trail.

Oz, a retired heart surgeon, who is endorsed by another former president Donald Trump and would become the first Muslim senator if he wins, rose to prominence as the health expert on The Oprah Winfrey Show before becoming the host of his own The Dr Oz Show.

His medical theories, however, are controversial in the healthcare community, some members of which dismiss them as unsubstantiated ‘pseudoscience'.

He has also come under fire from primary opponents and voters for residing most his life outside Pennsylvania and for his ties to Turkey where he holds citizenship. The Armenian-American community in Pennsylvania decried Oz's ties to Ankara and will hold a protest against him outside the debate studio on Tuesday night.

But for many Pennsylvanian voters who spoke to The National, the race boils down to economic and social issues such as inflation, abortion and crime.

In the evenly divided town of Newton, the Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe v Wade and the economic situation are forefront to voter's minds.

“When somebody starts taking away a freedom, like the Supreme Court did, there is an agenda,” said Richard, a voter in his mid-60s. "There's another freedom that is going to fall, and another and another and another."

He dismisses concerns about Mr Fetterman’s health, saying he cares more about his own.

“I know he had a stroke. I know people who had five strokes and live a long life,” he said.

In the centre of Philadelphia, Oz has been capitalising on the issue of fighting crime and gun violence.

The city has suffered a 60 per cent surge in armed robberies; violent crimes are up by more than seven per cent and commercial burglaries are up by 50 per cent, according to Axios.

“I released my plan to combat crime. Unlike John Fetterman, I will always put Pennsylvanians over criminals,” Oz tweeted before Tuesday's debate.

Mr Fetterman is making the same accusation, claiming that his opponent lives in an ivory tower and has “no clue” how to fight crime:

Meanwhile, voters in Philadelphia are showing enthusiasm for Democrat Josh Shapiro in Pennsylvania’s governor's race and maintains a wide lead in the polls.

But when it comes to Oz and Mr Fetterman, the enthusiasm remains constrained.

“I don’t like anybody that's running [for the Senate] to be perfectly honest,” said Robin Clark, a Philadelphia voter concerned about gun violence and protecting a woman’s right to choose.

Dick Furstein, a Phillies’ baseball fan, laments the Senate choices as well.

“I don't think either of the major Senate candidates are the best choices for their party,” he said. "I obviously intend to vote for one. And I know which one but I don't think that they're very representative."

Two business owners in Chester, one of the poorest towns in the state, said neither candidate had visited the community they are working hard to revitalise — though they hear their campaign ads all the time.

Early voting by mail has started in Pennsylvania before the main vote on November 8.