Oprah Reacts to Dr. Oz Senate Bid: ‘It’s Up to The Residents’

Oprah and Dr Oz (Credit: Oprah.com)

Oprah Winfrey has made her first comments on Dr. Oz’s decision to run for Pennsylvania’s U.S. senate seat.

Dr. Mehmet Oz declared in November he was entering the race and is running to succeed retiring Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA).

When asked about her longtime guest contributor’s decision to jump into politics, Oprah declined to offer an endorsement.

“One of the great things about our democracy is that every citizen can decide to run for public office. Mehmet Oz has made that decision. And now it’s up to the residents of Pennsylvania to decide who will represent them,” she said in a statement to New York magazine through her spokeswoman. 

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The 61-year-old doctor made his announcement on Nov. 30 and tweeted: “I’m running for U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania because America needs a Conservative Republican to cure what’s wrong with Washington. I’m a world-class surgeon, fighter, and health care advocate stepping forward to cure our country’s ills.” 

Dr. Oz first appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show in 2004, and made recurring appearances for five seasons. In 2009, Winfrey’s Harpo Productions and Sony Pictures Television launched The Dr. Oz Show

The Dr. Oz show will go off the air on Jan. 14, when its host launches his campaign bid.