One of the nation's most-read and most-discussed newsletters on U.S. politics has just moved the race for Pennsylvania's retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey from "leans Democratic" to "toss-up."
The move by the Cook Political Report Tuesday came on the heels of the latest USA Today/Suffolk poll showing that among likely Pennsylvania voters, far-left Democrat nominee and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman leads conservative Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz by 46% to 40%.
This represents a dramatic gain by celebrity physician Oz, who in June trailed Fetterman by 46% to 37% in the same poll.
"In conversations with several GOP strategists and lawmakers — who a month ago had begun to put the Keystone State in the loss column — this has emerged as a 'margin of error' that they once again see winnable," wrote Jessica Taylor in the Cook Political Report on Tuesday. "Republicans and Democrats alike admit the race has tightened and that Pennsylvania could be the tipping point state for the Senate majority."
Having won the second-closed statewide primary in Pennsylvania by barely 800 votes out of more than 1 million cast, Oz was initially thought to be a big loser to Fetterman. However, with growing focus on Fetterman's decidedly left-of-center stance on issues ranging from abortion to the outlawing of fracking, Oz has been on a steady upward trajectory since the end of August.
In addition, widespread reports that Fetterman never fully recovered from a more-serious-than-reported stroke just before the May primary have almost certainly helped the Republican hopeful.
The two candidates have agreed to one televised debate on Oct. 25, less than two weeks before the voting.
John Gizzi is chief political columnist and White House correspondent for Newsmax. For more of his reports, Go Here Now.