LAST UPDATE | 9 Nov 2022

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR JOHN Fetterman has defeated Donald Trump-endorsed reality TV star Dr Mehmet Oz in a Pennsylvania senate race. 

Fetterman received 50.2% of votes to Oz’s 47.4%, winning by 146,000 votes.

Democrats currently hold 46 seats compared to 47 for the GOP, while five states are still counting ballots.

Fetterman will replace Pat Toomey, a Republican who opted against seeking reelection, meaning his victory represents a significant gain for Democrats in a Senate that was evenly split at the beginning of the night.

His lead over Oz had narrowed in recent weeks, a change that coincided with narratives around the lieutenant governor’s health.

Fetterman suffered an ischemic stroke in May of this year, leaving him with symptoms of an auditory processing disorder, and he currently uses closed captioning as an aid to read speech in real time. 

Republicans zeroed in on Fetterman’s health issues following a televised debate in which Fetterman spoke haltingly, occasionally pausing at length to find words.

Fetterman’s medical team has asserted that he has suffered no lasting cognitive damage as a result of his stroke. 

In the week leading up the election, Oprah Winfrey, who launched Oz’s television career, endorsed Fetterman over her former colleague.

At around 1am local time, Fetterman tweeted: “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.”

Fetterman's victory speech pic.twitter.com/JDs1Hfd2RX

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) November 9, 2022

Fetterman, notable for his hulking 6’9″ frame, is part of the Democratic Party’s progressive wing, championing causes such as marriage equality, reproductive rights, legal marijuana and criminal reform.

He has also said he would vote to end to the filibuster in the Senate – a mechanism used stall and kill legislation that cannot meet a 60-vote threshold in the 100-seat chamber. 

Pennsylvania’s gubernatorial race has also been decided in favour of the Democrats.

Josh Shapiro beat out Doug Mastriano – a Trump-endorsed candidate who denies the legitimacy of the 2020 presidential election, and who was on the grounds of the Capitol during the 6 January riots. 

Expectations of a “red wave” have thus far failed to materialise, though Republicans have already locked in some significant successes. Most notably, author and former venture capitalist JD Vance has defeated Democrat congressman Tim Ryan to claim a senate seat in the swing state of Ohio.

For more updates on the tightest races of the 2022 midterms, head to our liveblog.