Fetterman's Lead in the Polls Has Been Slashed

What was once a commanding lead over Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's Senate race has been slashed: Polls show John Fetterman now leads Oz by about four percentage points. That means his lead has been cut almost in half in less than two months, the Hill reports. It notes that Oz's relentless attacks against Fetterman appear to be paying off, with Republican operatives and strategists saying they feel a lot better about the party's chances in the race now than they did a few weeks ago, and notes that 83% of Republicans in the state now back him, an increase from 73% in the July poll.

The Cook Political Report on Tuesday moved the race from the "lean Democrat" column to "toss-up." The New York Post is out with its own story about the shift, which it calls "Dr. Oz's miracle comeback." Rather than relentless attacks, the newspaper attributes it to relentless campaigning, noting Oz "held 90-minute town hall meetings and didn’t leave until he fielded every single question. He hosted business round tables, visited parents groups, maneuvered around cow pies at farm shows" at every county in the state, answering questions specific to each community on interviews with local media. The candidates will debate Oct. 25. (More John Fetterman stories.)