A recount will be held for the Republican Pennsylvania Senate primary in Pennsylvania, the state’s top elections official announced on Wednesday.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the TV show host who was endorsed by former president Trump, led former hedge-fund manager Dave McCormick by 902 votes after all counties submitted unofficial vote tallies on Tuesday. An automatic vote recount is triggered under Pennsylvania law when a candidate wins by less than 0.5 percent of the vote, and Oz won the primary by 0.8 percent.
“I want to emphasize that this automatic recount is intended to ensure that the count is accurate and that there is confidence in the results and outcome,” Pennsylvania acting secretary of state Leigh M. Chapman said in a statement.
Counties will be able to begin the recount as soon as Friday, with a deadline of June 7 to complete the recount. Counties must report the recounted totals to the acting secretary by June 8.
The recount comes after pre-election polling reported a close three-way race between Oz, McCormick, and surprise Republican challenger Kathy Barnette.
In the wake of Barnette’s rise in popularity, Trump released a statement claiming Barnette “will never be able to win” in the general election, urging Pennsylvanians to back Oz.
Meanwhile, Oz confronted lackluster backing from some of Trump’s supporters. Oz was booed at a rally in western Pennsylvania headlined by the former president.
The winner of the recount will face progressive Pennsylvania lieutenant governor John Fetterman in the fall Senate race. Fetterman won the Democratic primary despite suffering a stroke the weekend before the election.
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