Former Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Ridge endorsed Republican Mehmet Oz for U.S. Senate on Thursday, giving the cardiothoracic surgeon and TV celebrity the stamp of approval from a longtime mainstay of the GOP's establishment.
A Republican official endorsing a Republican candidate in a massive federal race may come as no surprise to political observers, but when it's Ridge, it hits different.
He's seen as a conservative stalwart — a political moderate — in an age when the Republican Party is embracing former President Donald Trump's "Make America Great Again" movement and hoisting up candidates further to the right.
Ridge bucked his own party to reject Trump's ideology, and even went so far as to back current President Joe Biden, a Democrat, in 2020.
In a statement, the former governor said the issues facing Pennsylvania and the country are significant and require "smart leaders who are passionate about finding creative solutions." He spent time with Oz over the past year, he said, and found him to be the right candidate.
"We discussed those issues, and I had an opportunity to hear from him directly about why he's chosen to step into the political arena," Ridge said. "I was most impressed by his intellect and his desire to serve our Commonwealth and nation with energy and passion."
Responding to the endorsement, Oz lauded Ridge for his "deep understanding of our Commonwealth and the challenges we are facing" and said as senator, he will bring together people regardless of party and "speak boldly for the innovative solutions that benefit all Pennsylvanians."
Ridge served as Pennsylvania's governor from 1995 to 2001, then became the first Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and eventually the cabinet department's first secretary.
More recently he has led Ridge Global, a firm that consults on cyber security, international security and risk management.
In 2020, when he endorsed Biden, Ridge said it was the first time he'd back a Democratic candidate for president. He noted that was one of the first Republicans to reject Trump, calling him an "embarrassment to the Republican Party and our country."
Trump is backing Oz in the Senate race and has come to Pennsylvania to stump for him.
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