Dr. Mehmet Oz is widely known for being a surgeon and a television host for his show called The Dr. Oz Show. Now, the Turkish American is taking on a new endeavor as he announces he will be running for the U.S. Senate in Pennsylvania, according to the New York Times. 

This is the first time in Dr. Oz’s life that he is entering the political arena. He will be entering a Republican primary for an open Senate seat which could decide the fate of the 2022 midterm elections.  

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He was born in Cleveland, Ohio to immigrants of Turkey and followed in his father’s footsteps in being a surgeon. Dr. Oz said the reason he is running for the open Senate seat is because of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. 

“In this emergency, we needed capable leaders ready to act—and we didn’t get that. The entire situation angered me. Sometimes, in medical emergencies, we will need to operate with swift and decisive action. Sometimes, we can use less invasive medications to correct course. Sometimes, we will use preventive health to stop problems from even emerging in the first place,” he said in a press release. 

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Dr. Oz’s entry into the race could shake up a field without a current frontrunner, according to the New York Times. 

“In the end, our generation needs to fight, for the benefit of our descendants—to leave them a better situation than we inherited,” Dr. Oz said. “We have fumbled the baton we’re supposed to pass to our children. And I want to pick up that baton and start running toward our promising future.”