Republican Pennsylvania Senate candidate Mehmet Ozs marketing campaign is taking a jab at Democratic opponent John Fetterman after the lieutenant governor’s marketing campaign ridiculed — and raised cash off of — a video exhibiting the GOP hopeful purchasing for groceries whereas complaining in regards to the value of crudité.

“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then possibly he wouldn’t have had a significant stroke and wouldn’t be within the place of getting to lie about it continually,” Rachel Tripp, Ozs senior communications adviser, stated in an announcement, which was first reported by Insider.

The assertion was criticized by Fetterman in a tweet on Tuesday night. 

“I had a stroke. I survived it. I’m really so grateful to nonetheless be right here at the moment,” he stated. “I do know politics will be nasty, however even then, I might *by no means* think about ridiculing somebody for his or her well being challenges.”

On Tuesday, Fetterman’s marketing campaign launched a letter signed by greater than 100 Pennsylvania docs warning in opposition to Ozs candidacy. In an occasion selling the letter, Val Arkoosh, a doctor who ran within the Democratic Senate main earlier this yr, slammed Ozs feedback. 

“No actual physician, or any first rate human being, to be sincere, would ever mock a stroke sufferer who’s recovering from that stroke, in the best way that Dr. Ozis mocking John Fetterman,” Arkoosh stated. 

At subject was a video made in April that confirmed Ozgrocery buying as he sought to make the case that inflation was making objects corresponding to asparagus, broccoli, guacamole and salsa costlier. Within the video, he referred to the shop identify as “Wegners,” an obvious mixture of Wegmans and Redner’s.

Ozalso referred to the objects as crudité, which Fetterman mocked, saying in a tweet, “In PA we name this a… veggie tray.”

Fetterman’s marketing campaign stated it had raised greater than half one million {dollars} off the viral video inside a day, together with greater than $65,000 from a sticker that has the phrase “Wegners: Allow them to eat Crudite” on it. 

The produce-centric tit-for-tat comes as Fetterman’s marketing campaign seeks to painting Ozas a carpetbagger from New Jersey who’s out of contact with Pennsylvania voters.

Ozs crew, in the meantime, has sought to point out Fetterman as inauthentically participating with voters on the bottom, at one level sending out a “basement tracker” replace of the Senate hopeful.

Fetterman suffered a stroke in Might, holding the Democrat off the marketing campaign path for a number of months.

The Senate race, certainly one of many that would decide management of the presently 50-50 higher chamber, has turn into one of the vital intently watched within the nation.