But Republicans now see seeds for a potential rebound against the Democratic front-runner, which is rooted in an unrelenting advertising assault on a record they see as largely unchallenged and questions about his ability to perform senatorial duties as Fetterman continues to recover from a severe stroke he suffered last spring.
“The feeling on the Republican side is Oz has gained his footing back over the last couple of weeks,” said Chris Nicholas, a longtime GOP consultant in the state.
Nicholas believes Fetterman is stonewalling a commitment to debating Oz due to the perilous political risk an hour of sustained live scrutiny poses to him. Fetterman’s campaign has indicated the candidate is in speech therapy and his public appearances have shown the lingering effects of his malady.
“I think voters are moving from how his medical condition affects him to how it affects them,” Nicholas said of the lieutenant governor.
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