How to watch Pa.’s highly anticipated Senate debate between Fetterman, Oz

Pennsylvania’s hotly contested U.S. Senate race will have its only televised debate Tuesday in a highly anticipated event that could play an important role in deciding the outcome.

Democrat John Fetterman and Republican Dr. Mehmet Oz will square off for an hour starting at 8 p.m. in a live debate hosted by WHTM-TV in Harrisburg.

Rick Stafford, professor of public policy at Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College, said he expects the debate to be well watched. He said with polling showing the race being so close, a debate could sway some undecided voters and affect turnout.

“Typically, debates don’t matter, but I think this one is going to be important,” he said.

Where to watch

Pittsburgh-area viewers can watch on WPXI-TV (Channel 11) and live-streamed at WPXI’s website. WPXI is a news partner of the Tribune-Review.

The debate will be shown on all Nextstar stations in all of Pennsylvania’s media markets and all of the state’s 67 counties.

WHTM said the debate will be moderated by WHTM abc27 News anchor Dennis Owens and WPXI anchor Lisa Sylvester.

What to expect

The debate will feature closed captioning for the candidates, a potential first for such a large race.

The terms were agreed upon in advance because Fetterman has temporary auditory processing issues caused by a stroke he suffered in May.

The Fetterman campaign released a statement Monday acknowledging a debate “isn’t John’s format,” pointing to his lackluster performance during the primary debates, and said Fetterman might fail to pick up words and that could result in delays in responses. It also pointed out that Oz is an experienced television personality.

But Fetterman’s campaign added: “John did not get where he is by winning debates or being a polished speaker. He got here because he truly connects with Pennsylvanians.”

Stafford said viewers can expect the candidates to hit on well-trodden messages. Fetterman has attacked Oz for moving to the state to run for Senate and highlighted his anti-abortion stances. Oz has hit Fetterman over rising crime rates and questioned his ability to perform his job after recovering from a stroke.

Stafford said there is the potential for surprises, and viewers likely will be watching closely since this is the only time the candidates will face off in person.

“This is the first time you can measure them side by side, and who comes out with the most appeal might swing some voters,” Stafford said.