By Jarrett Renshaw
PHILADELPHIA – Former President Donald Trump is nowhere to be seen in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate race, but he nonetheless is shaping the election as Republican candidates vie for his support and the state party considers skipping an endorsement to avoid being at odds with him.
Trump has not revealed whether he will back any of the current candidates in the contest that could decide control of Congress in November’s midterm elections.
The crowded Republican field vying to replace retiring Sen. Pat Toomey includes several contenders with connections to the former president: Carla Sands, former ambassador to Denmark under Trump; celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz, a Trump friend; and hedge fund CEO David McCormick, whose wife served in the Trump administration.
