Oprah Winfrey backs John Fetterman in Senate race against Mehmet Oz

Oprah Winfrey has given her support to Pennsylvania Democrat candidate John Fetterman in his race for a U.S. Senate seat on Thursday.

Winfrey gave her remarks during a virtual voting event with community leaders on Thursday, which is an event for her OWN Your Vote initiative.  The initiative encourages black women to vote in each election.

“I said it was up to the citizens of Pennsylvania and of course, but I will tell you all this, if I lived in Pennsylvania, I would have already cast my vote for John Fetterman for many reasons,” Winfrey said.

Winfrey in the past has had a cordial relationship with Mehmet Oz, who is Fetterman’s opponent, including having him as a guest doctor on her show.

She first welcomed Dr. Oz on her show in 2004 and she called him “America’s doctor” and provided him with a platform to promote to promote health advice. She also had a hand in launching his “Dr. Oz Show” in 2009 under her Harpo Productions banner.

Winfrey has withheld from commenting on Oz’s bid for the Senate. Last year she said that “it’s up to the residents of Pennsylvania to decide who will represent them.”

Fetterman took to Twitter after Winfrey’s announcement, saying, “WELCOME TO #TEAMFETTERMAN, @Oprah!!”

Winfrey supported several Democratic candidates at Thursday’s event, including North Carolina Supreme Court Justice Cheri Beasley, Florida Rep. Val Demings, Wisconsin Lt. Gov. Mandela Barnes, Nevada Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock.

She also offered her backing to Beto O’Rourke in Texas and Stacey Abrams in Georgia.