List of Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections

The election of the Governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania occurs when voters in the U.S. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania select the Governor and Lieutenant Governor for the ensuing four years beginning at noon on the third Tuesday of January following the election.[1] Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections were held triennially beginning with the first election in 1790 until 1878. Gubernatorial elections have been held quadrennially since the election of 1882. Gubernatorial general elections are held on Election Day, coinciding with various other federal, statewide, and local races.

Elections in Pennsylvania
Federal government
U.S. President
U.S. Senate
Class One
Class Three
U.S. House of Representatives
State government
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Attorney General
Auditor General
State Treasurer
State Senate
State House Elections
Elections by year
State elections
Philadelphia
Mayoral elections
City Council elections
Other municipal elections
Pittsburgh
Mayors
Lancaster
Mayors
Allentown
Mayors
Harrisburg
Mayors

Per Article II of the 1790 Pennsylvania Constitution, gubernatorial elections were held triennially on the second Tuesday of October, with the three-year term commencing on the third Tuesday of December immediately following the election. Incumbents were permitted to serve for a maximum of nine years out of any period of twelve years. Ties were to be resolved, pursuant to the same document, by a joint vote of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate.[2] The 1874 Pennsylvania Constitution mandated the date of gubernatorial elections to be likewise that of the general election on Election Day in November and extended the term to four years, beginning on the third Tuesday of January following the election.[3] In the original text of the 1874 Constitution, an incumbent governor was prohibited from running for a second successive term, but this was amended in 1967 to permit an incumbent to do so.[4] The next gubernatorial election in Pennsylvania is scheduled to be held on November 8, 2022.

The list below contains election returns from all sixty-six gubernatorial elections in Pennsylvania sorted by year, beginning with the first in 1790 and ending with the most recent in 2018. Incumbent governors are listed as well as elected governors and runner(s)-up in each election, including major third-party candidates (garnering 5% or more of the popular vote). Parties are color-coded to the left of a Governor's or candidate's name according to the key below. The popular vote and percentage margins listed in the "Margin" column are the differences between the total votes received and percentage of the popular vote received by the top two finishers in the corresponding election (i.e. the margin-of-victory of an elected governor over the nearest competitor).

List of elections
Parties[note 1]

  Independent   Federalist   Democratic-Republican   Democratic   Whig   Republican   National Republican   Anti-Masonic   Know Nothing/American   Prohibition   Constitution

Election Incumbent governor Elected governor Votes Runner(s)-up Votes Margin Notes
1790   Office established   Thomas Mifflin 27,974 (90.71%)   Arthur St. Clair 2,864 (9.29%) 25,110 (81.42%) [5]
1793   Thomas Mifflin   Thomas Mifflin 20,479 (65.47%)   Frederick Muhlenberg 10,802 (34.53%) 9,677 (29.94%) [6]
1796   Thomas Mifflin   Thomas Mifflin 30,020 (96.31%)   Frederick Muhlenberg 1,011 (3.24%) 29,009 (93.07%) [7]
1799   Thomas Mifflin   Thomas McKean 37,244 (53.29%)   James Ross 32,643 (46.71%) 4,601 (6.58%) [8]
1802   Thomas McKean   Thomas McKean 47,879 (73.76%)   James Ross 17,037 (26.24%) 30,842 (47.52%) [9]
1805   Thomas McKean   Thomas McKean 43,644 (53.14%)   Simon Snyder 38,483 (46.86%) 5,161 (6.28%) [10]
1808   Thomas McKean   Simon Snyder 67,975 (60.93%)   James Ross 39,575 (35.48%) 28,400 (25.45%) [11]
1811   Simon Snyder   Simon Snyder 52,319 (93.55%)   William Tilghman 3,609 (6.45%) 48,710 (87.1%) [12]
1814   Simon Snyder   Simon Snyder 51,099 (63.35%)   Isaac Wayne 29,566 (36.65%) 21,533 (26.7%) [13]
1817   Simon Snyder   William Findlay 66,331 (52.81%)   Joseph Hiester 59,272 (47.19%) 7,059 (5.62%) [14]
1820   William Findlay   Joseph Hiester 67,905 (50.60%)   William Findlay 66,300 (49.40%) 1,605 (1.2%) [15]
1823   Joseph Hiester   John Andrew Shulze 89,928 (59.24%)   Andrew Gregg 64,211 (42.30%) 25,717 (16.94%) [16]
1826   John Andrew Shulze   John Andrew Shulze 72,710 (96.87%)   John Sergeant 1,175 (3.13%) 71,535 (93.74%) [17]
1829   John Andrew Shulze   George Wolf 78,219 (60.17%)   Joseph Ritner 51,776 (39.83%) 26,443 (20.34%) [18]
1832   George Wolf   George Wolf 91,335 (50.88%)   Joseph Ritner 88,165 (49.12%) 3,170 (1.76%) [19]
1835   George Wolf   Joseph Ritner 94,023 (46.91%)   George Wolf (Ind. Dem.) 65,804 (32.83%) 28,219 (14.08%) [20]
  Henry A. P. Muhlenberg 40,586 (20.25%)
1838   Joseph Ritner   David R. Porter 127,821 (51.10%)   Joseph Ritner 122,325 (48.90%) 5,496 (2.2%) [21]
1841   David R. Porter   David R. Porter 136,504 (54.60%)   John Banks 113,473 (45.40%) 23,031 (9.2%) [22]
1844   David R. Porter   Francis R. Shunk 160,959 (50.69%)   Joseph Markle 156,562 (49.31%) 4,397 (1.38%) [23]
1847   Francis R. Shunk   Francis R. Shunk 146,181 (50.86%)   James Irvin 128,148 (44.58%) 17,976 (6.28%) [24]
1848   William F. Johnston   William F. Johnston 168,522 (50.04%)   Morris Longstreth 168,225 (49.96%) 302 (0.08%) [25]
[note 2]
1851   William F. Johnston   William Bigler 186,499 (51.16%)   William F. Johnston 178,034 (48.84%) 8,465 (2.32%) [26]
1854   William Bigler   James Pollock 204,008 (54.99%)   William Bigler 167,001 (45.01%) 37,007 (9.98%) [27]
1857   James Pollock   William F. Packer 188,887 (52.01%)   David Wilmot 146,136 (40.24%) 42,751 (11.77%) [28]
  Isaac Hazlehurst (Amer.) 28,132 (7.75%)
1860   William F. Packer   Andrew Curtin 262,353 (53.26%)   Henry Foster 230,239 (46.74%) 32,114 (6.52%) [29]
1863   Andrew Curtin   Andrew Curtin 269,506 (51.46%)   George Woodward 254,171 (48.54%) 15,335 (2.92%) [30]
1866   Andrew Curtin   John W. Geary 307,274 (51.44%)   Hiester Clymer 290,096 (48.56%) 17,178 (2.88%) [31]
1869   John W. Geary   John W. Geary 290,552 (50.40%)   Asa Packer 285,956 (49.60%) 4,596 (0.8%) [32]
1872   John W. Geary   John F. Hartranft 353,387 (52.55%)   Charles B. Buckalew 317,760 (49.60%) 35,627 (2.95%) [33]
1875   John F. Hartranft   John F. Hartranft 304,175 (49.90%)   Cyrus L. Pershing 292,145 (47.93%) 12,030 (1.97%) [34]
1878   John F. Hartranft   Henry M. Hoyt 319,567 (45.51%)   Andrew H. Dill 297,061 (42.31%) 22,506 (3.2%) [35]
  Samuel R. Mason (Grb.) 81,758 (11.64%)
1882   Henry M. Hoyt   Robert E. Pattison 355,791 (47.80%)   James A. Beaver 315,589 (42.40%) 40,202 (5.4%) [36]
[note 3]
  John Stewart (Ind. Rep.) 43,743 (5.88%)
1886   Robert E. Pattison   James A. Beaver 412,285 (50.33%)   Chauncey F. Black 369,634 (45.12%) 42,651 (5.21%) [37]
1890   James A. Beaver   Robert E. Pattison 464,209 (50.02%)   George W. Delamater 447,655 (45.12%) 16,554 (4.9%) [38]
[note 4]
1894   Robert E. Pattison   Daniel H. Hastings 574,801 (60.31%)   William M. Singerly 334,404 (34.98%) 241,397 (25.33%) [39]
1898   Daniel H. Hastings   William A. Stone 476,206 (49.01%)   George A. Jenks 358,300 (36.87%) 117,906 (12.14%) [40]
  Silas C. Swallow 132,931 (13.68%)
1902   William A. Stone   Samuel W. Pennypacker 593,328 (54.20%)   Robert E. Pattison 450,978 (41.19%) 142,350 (13.01%) [41]
[note 5]
1906   Samuel W. Pennypacker   Edwin Stuart 506,418 (50.31%)   Lewis Emery Jr. 458,064 (45.51%) 48,354 (4.8%) [42]
1910   Edwin Stuart   John K. Tener 415,614 (41.63%)   William H. Berry 382,127 (38.27%) 33,487 (3.36%) [43]
[note 6]
  Webster Grim 129,395 (12.96%)
1914   John K. Tener   Martin Brumbaugh 588,705 (52.98%)   Vance C. McCormick 453,880 (40.84%) 134,825 (12.14%) [44]
1918   Martin Brumbaugh   William Sproul 552,537 (61.05%)   Eugene C. Bonniwell 305,315 (33.74%) 247,222 (27.31%) [45]
1922   William Sproul   Gifford Pinchot 831,696 (56.79%)   John A. McSparran 581,625 (39.71%) 250,071 (17.08%) [46]
1926   Gifford Pinchot   John Fisher 1,102,823 (73.35%)   Eugene C. Bonniwell 365,280 (24.29%) 737,543 (49.06%) [47]
1930   John Fisher   Gifford Pinchot 1,068,874 (50.77%)   John M. Hemphill 1,010,204 (47.98%) 58,670 (2.79%) [48]
[note 7]
1934   Gifford Pinchot   George Earle 1,476,377 (50.04%)   William A. Schnader 1,410,138 (47.80%) 66,239 (2.24%) [49]
1938   George Earle   Arthur James 2,035,340 (53.39%)   Charles Jones 1,756,192 (46.07%) 279,148 (7.32%) [50]
1942   Arthur James   Edward Martin 1,367,531 (53.67%)   F. Clair Ross 1,149,897 (45.13%) 217,634 (8.54%) [51]
1946   John C. Bell, Jr.   James H. Duff 1,828,462 (58.53%)   John S. Rice 1,270,947 (40.68%) 557,515 (17.85%) [52]
[note 8]
1950   James H. Duff   John S. Fine 1,796,119 (50.74%)   Richardson Dilworth 1,710,355 (48.31%) 85,764 (2.43%) [53]
1954   John S. Fine   George M. Leader 1,990,266 (53.58%)   Lloyd H. Wood 1,717,070 (46.23%) 273,196 (7.35%) [54]
1958   George M. Leader   David L. Lawrence 2,024,852 (50.79%)   Arthur T. McGonigle 1,948,769 (48.88%) 76,083 (1.91%) [55]
1962   David L. Lawrence   William Scranton 2,424,918 (55.39%)   Richardson Dilworth 1,938,627 (44.28%) 486,291 (11.11%) [56]
1966   William Scranton   Raymond P. Shafer 2,110,349 (52.10%)   Milton Shapp 1,868,719 (46.13%) 241,630 (5.97%) [57]
1970   Raymond P. Shafer   Milton Shapp 2,043,029 (55.22%)   Raymond J. Broderick 1,542,854 (41.70%) 500,175 (13.52%) [58]
1974   Milton Shapp   Milton Shapp 1,878,252 (53.66%)   Andrew L. Lewis, Jr. 1,578,917 (45.11%) 299,335 (11.96%) [59]
1978   Milton Shapp   Dick Thornburgh 1,966,042 (52.54%)   Peter F. Flaherty 1,737,888 (46.44%) 228,154 (6.1%) [60]
1982   Dick Thornburgh   Dick Thornburgh 1,872,784 (50.84%)   Allen E. Ertel 1,772,353 (46.44%) 100,431 (4.4%) [61]
1986   Dick Thornburgh   Robert P. Casey 1,717,484 (50.69%)   William Scranton III 1,638,268 (48.35%) 79,216 (2.34%) [62]
1990   Robert P. Casey   Robert P. Casey 2,065,281 (67.65%)   Barbara Hafer 987,463 (32.35%) 1,077,818 (35.3%) [63]
1994   Robert P. Casey   Tom Ridge 1,627,976 (45.40%)   Mark Singel 1,430,099 (39.89%) 197,877 (5.51%) [64]
  Peg Luksik 460,269 (12.84%)
1998   Tom Ridge   Tom Ridge 1,736,844 (57.42%)   Ivan Itkin 938,745 (31.03%) 798,099 (26.39%) [65]
  Peg Luksik 315,761 (10.44%)
2002   Mark S. Schweiker   Ed Rendell 1,913,235 (53.41%)   Mike Fisher 1,589,408 (44.37%) 323,827 (9.04%) [66]
[note 9]
2006   Ed Rendell   Ed Rendell 2,470,517 (60.36%)   Lynn Swann 1,622,135 (39.64%) 848,382 (20.72%) [67]
2010   Ed Rendell   Tom Corbett 2,172,763 (54.49%)   Dan Onorato 1,814,788 (45.51%) 357,975 (8.98%) [68]
2014   Tom Corbett   Tom Wolf 1,920,355 (54.93%)   Tom Corbett 1,575,511 (45.07%) 344,844 (9.86%) [69]
2018   Tom Wolf   Tom Wolf 2,870,574 (57.62%)   Scott Wagner 2,034,358 (40.84%) 836,216 (16.78%) [70]

See also

Notes
  1. As listed on the ballot and in election returns.
  2. As speaker of the state senate, Johnston filled the unexpired term following the death of Francis Shunk, and was subsequently elected governor in his own right.
  3. This was the first Pennsylvania gubernatorial election to be held in the modern quadrennial cycle.
  4. Pattison was elected for his second, non-contiguous term as Governor in 1890.
  5. Former Governor Pattison ran for a third non-consecutive term.
  6. Berry appeared on the ballot as the candidate of the Keystone Party.
  7. Pinchot was elected for his second, non-contiguous term as Governor in 1930.
  8. Governor Martin resigned to assume a seat in the United States Senate. Accordingly, Lt. Gov. Bell finished the remainder of the term.
  9. Governor Ridge resigned in October 2001 to become Homeland Security Advisor to President George W. Bush. Lt. Gov. Schweiker filled the unexpired term and did not seek election to a full term.

References
  1. "EXECUTIVE BRANCH". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Archived from the original on 22 May 2012. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  2. "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 1790". Duquesne University Law School. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  3. "Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania 1874, Article 4". Wikisource. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  4. "Section 3: Terms of Office of Governor; Number of Terms". Wikisource. Retrieved 17 August 2012.
  5. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1790". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  6. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1793". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  7. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1796". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  8. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1799". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  9. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1802". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  10. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1805". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  11. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1808". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  12. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1811". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  13. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1814". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  14. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1817". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  15. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1820". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  16. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1823". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  17. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1826". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  18. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1829". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  19. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1832". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  20. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1835". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  21. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1838". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  22. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1841". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  23. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1844". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  24. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1847". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  25. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1848". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  26. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1851". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  27. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1854". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  28. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1857". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  29. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1860". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  30. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1863". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  31. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1866". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  32. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1869". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  33. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1872". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  34. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1875". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  35. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1878". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  36. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1882". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  37. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1886". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  38. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1890". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  39. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1894". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  40. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1898". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  41. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1902". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  42. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1906". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  43. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1910". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  44. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1914". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  45. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1918". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  46. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1922". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  47. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1926". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  48. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1930". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  49. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1934". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  50. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1938". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  51. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1942". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  52. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1946". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  53. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1950". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  54. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1954". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  55. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1958". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  56. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1962". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  57. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1966". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  58. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1970". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  59. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1974". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  60. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1978". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  61. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1982". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  62. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1986". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  63. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1990". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  64. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1994". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  65. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1998". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  66. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 2002". Wilkes University. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  67. "2006 General Election: Governor". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  68. "2010 General Election: Governor". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on 21 May 2012. Retrieved 18 August 2012.
  69. "2014 General Election: Governor". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on 6 October 2014. Retrieved 5 November 2014.
  70. "2018 General Election: Governor". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved 7 November 2018.
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