| Advertisement |
May 25 (UPI) -- Former television personality Mehmet Oz is facing a recount after narrowly taking the lead in the Republican primary for a U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania. Acting Secretary of State Leigh Chapman issued the notice Wednesday afternoon that she will order a required statewide recount for the May 17 race.
Advertisement
Oz held the lead over David McCormick by around a thousand votes according to unofficial results submitted by all 67 counties Wednesday.
That total means the difference between Oz and McCormick falls within the one-half of one percent margin that triggers a mandatory recount under Pennsylvania law.
Counties can start the recount as early as Friday but must begin no later than June 1. All recounts must be completed by noon on June 7, and results submitted by noon on June 8.
The state estimates the recount will cost more than $1 million of taxpayer money.
This is the seventh time the automatic recount provision has been triggered since legislation was enacted in 2004.
McCormick has also petitioned the state Supreme Court to order approximately 60 counties to count mail-in ballots that were missing a handwritten date on return envelopes.
As the closest runner-up, McCormick could have chosen to waive his right to a recount.
The winner of the Republican primary will face Democratic Lt. Gov. John Fetterman in the November midterm election for the senate seat.
Oz was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, after Sean Parnell dropped out of the race following claims he abused his estranged wife.
The 61-year-old Oz is an Ohio native who attended medical school at the University of Pennsylvania, announced his senate run in November and has used his medical credentials to largely campaign on a platform criticizing COVID-19 mandates.
