In a series of interviews Thursday, “Ultra MAGA” Pennsylvania senatorial candidate Kathy Barnette attempted to clear the air after her campaign came under attack for not being transparent about her background.

After her highly praised debate performance on May 4, Barnette surged to a statistical three-way tie with Republicans David McCormick and the Trump-endorsed Dr. Mehmet Oz in the Republican primary race for the open U.S. Senate seat in Pennsylvania.

During the debate, Barnette revealed that she was a product of rape, and her mother was only 11 years old when she was conceived.

“I was not just a lump of cells, as you can see, I’m still not just a lump of cells​. My life has value and that is one of the reasons why it was very disturbing when I saw Mehmet Oz running for this particular race when I’ve seen him on numerous occasions and specifically at the ​’​Breakfast Club​’ saying that my life was nothing more than an acorn with electrical currents​,” Barnette said.

​”I am wondering if the good doctor has now since changed his position on that. My life is valuable and so are the many lives that find themselves in the womb of their mother, whether in the womb or toward the end of that life​,” she said.

While Oz and McCormick have been slinging mud at each other for months, damaging each other’s campaigns, Barnette’s compelling personal story and her authentic brand of conservatism  prompted many Republican voters in Pennsylvania to support her as a viable candidate.  In recent days, she has been endorsed by the Club for growth, Susan B. Anthony List, Catholic Vote, and the American Principles Project.