The independent candidate for the U.S. Senate seat from Pennsylvania has just dropped out of the race, two weeks before Election Day, and is endorsing Democratic nominee John Fetterman, hours before the debate.
And he did it to save democracy.
“I am polling around 3% which places Democracy at risk,” independent Everett Stern said Tuesday afternoon. “In the interest of protecting the United States I am dropping out of the U.S Senate Race in PA. I fully endorse John Fetterman. The Democrats must win. PA must be Blue. It has been an honor running.”
Stern is a former Republican candidate for office, so endorsing Fetterman over Republican Mehmet Oz is a big win for the current Pennsylvania Lt. Governor. He’s also a businessman, whistleblower, and, he says, is engaged in a legal battle with former Trump National Security Advisor Michael Flynn.
“I fully endorse John Fetterman and want to make crystal crystal clear here that Pennsylvania must go blue in this election,” Stern adds separately in a lengthy video. “The Democrats need to win this.”
Dr. Oz “is being backed by Trump and by Flynn, and that is simply unacceptable,” Stern says, referring to QAnon-promoting far right wing extremist Michael Flynn, a Christian nationalist.
Stern asked his supporters to make certain they do not write-in his name, and to donate to the Fetterman campaign “as much support as possible,” to ensure “that the Democrats win this election.”
Stern also said Flynn is suing him for $250 million, “because I stated that he’s running a domestic terrorist organization and that he’s a traitor.”
Tuesday evening at 8 PM ET Fetterman and Oz will face off in a highly-anticipated debate. Like Stern, The New York Times agrees that the race is “critical to control of the Senate.”