According to a report from Politico, the Pennsylvania Republican Party, which is already dealing with the blowback that former lawmaker Sean Parnell-- who is accused of domestic violence -- may be their U.S. Senate nominee in 2022, is also not happy with the entry of TV physician Dr. Mehmet Oz into the race.
Put simply, as one GOP consultant explained, "There's no one who thinks the solution to the Sean Parnell issue is Dr. Oz."
According to Politico's Holly Otterbein and Natalie Allison, "The frontrunner so far, Sean Parnell, has been accused by his estranged wife of domestic violence in a high-profile child custody case. He has denied the allegations. Less well-known contenders have been knocked within the party as too boring, divisive or inexperienced," and the entry of the controversial Oz is not helping matters.
With Politico reporting "party insiders [are] alarmed by the absence of a strong candidate in one of the nation's most important Senate races," the report goes on to add that "The famous TV physician's prospective campaign for an open Senate seat in Pennsylvania remains a hush-hush affair — no one so far has admitted to working on it and the consultants thought to be involved are remaining tight-lipped. But Mehmet Oz is searching for a scheduler and policy director, according to a person contacted about the jobs. He has also recently looked for a home in the Philadelphia suburbs, another source said.
Explained one GOP strategist, "I don't know a single politically involved person in Pennsylvania who's not being paid who wants to be involved in this effort," adding that "pretty much universal response has been 'LOL.'"
Rob Gleason, former chair of Pennsylvania's Republican Party, pointing to the turmoil suggested, "It's ripe for somebody to parachute in and take it."
According to the report, frustration with potential Senate nominees in Pennsylvania extends beyond the state over fears the GOP will see the seat currently held by Sen. Pat Toomey flip to the Democrats -- so the search for a suitable candidate continues.
"David McCormick, CEO of Bridgewater Associates, is another possible candidate who has recently sparked the curiosity of top Republicans in Pennsylvania and Washington, D.C." the Politico report states. "Earlier this year, Kenneth Braithwaite, who served as Navy Secretary under Trump, and John Giordano, who was previously an attorney for Trump's campaign, briefly gave hope to Republican power players in the state when their names emerged as potential contenders. But as of now, their campaigns haven't materialized."
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