By MARC LEVY
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Leading candidates for the Republican nomination for Pennsylvania’s open U.S. Senate seat met Monday night for their first live-televised prime-time debate in an increasingly expensive primary race in which former President Donald Trump just made an endorsement.
Trump Mehmet Oz, the celebrity heart surgeon best known as daytime TV’s host of “The Dr. Oz Show.” Oz appeared alongside four others at the studio of WHTM-TV in Harrisburg for the one-hour debate.
They are: conservative activist Kathy Barnette; real estate investor Jeff Bartos; ex-hedge fund CEO David McCormick; and Carla Sands, Trump’s ambassador to Denmark.
All five met the polling threshold set by the station’s parent company as they vie for the nomination to succeed retiring two-term Republican Sen. Pat Toomey in the presidential battleground state.
The campaign is one of this year’s premier Senate contests, with following the recent arrival of three wealthy and well-connected candidates from other states — McCormick, Oz and Sands. It was the first question in Monday night’s debate.
The race is also an expensive duel between McCormick and Oz, who combined — with super PACs that support them — have reported spending more than $37 million.
The primary election is May 17.
The debate began at 8 p.m. and is to be televised on stations in Pennsylvania’s six media markets, as well as stations in Ohio, New York and Washington.