Elections in Pennsylvania elect the five state-level offices, the Pennsylvania General Assembly, including the senate and house of representatives, as well as the state's congressional delegation for the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives. Presidential elections are held every four years in Pennsylvania. Considered a swing state, it is one of the most competitive nationally, with narrow victories that alternate between the parties across all major offices. On the presidential level, the state has voted for the nationwide loser on only 10 occasions (1824, 1884, 1892, 1912, 1916, 1932, 1948, 1968, 2000, and 2004), meaning it has voted for the national winner 83% of the time, as of 2020.
In a 2020 study, Pennsylvania was ranked by the Election Law Journal as the 19th hardest state for citizens to vote in, based on registration and identification requirements, and convenience provisions.
House of Representatives
Pennsylvania's congressional delegation is composed of nine Democrats and eight Republicans, since the 2022 elections.
The five most recent House elections: 2024 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania 2022 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania 2018 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania 2016 United States House of Representatives elections in Pennsylvania
Presidential elections
Below is a table of Pennsylvania's majority vote in the last twelve presidential elections, alongside the national electoral college results. On the presidential level, the state has voted for the nationwide loser on only 10 occasions – 1824, 1884, 1892, 1912, 1916, 1932, 1948, 1968, 2000, and 2004 – meaning it has voted for the national winner 83% of the time, as of 2020. Beginning with the 1992 election, the state has leaned Democratic, voting that way in seven of the nine elections from that year, though mostly by margins under 10 points.
Vote in Pennsylvania National vote Year Candidate Year Candidate 1980 Ronald Reagan 1980 Ronald Reagan 1984 Ronald Reagan 1984 Ronald Reagan 1988 George H. W. Bush 1988 George H. W. Bush 1992 Bill Clinton 1992 Bill Clinton 1996 Bill Clinton 1996 Bill Clinton 2000 Al Gore 2000 George W. Bush 2004 John Kerry 2004 George W. Bush 2008 Barack Obama 2008 Barack Obama 2012 Barack Obama 2012 Barack Obama 2016 Donald Trump 2016 Donald Trump 2020 Joe Biden 2020 Joe Biden 2024 Donald Trump 2024 Donald Trump
United States Senate elections
Class I Senate elections The five most recent elections: 2024 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2018 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2012 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2006 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
Class III Senate elections The five most recent elections: 2022 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2016 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2010 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 2004 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 1998 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
Republican Senator Dave McCormick entered office in 2025 after defeating Bob Casey Jr in the 2024 election. Democratic senator John Fetterman entered office in January 2023, succeeding Republican Pat Toomey who retired after two terms.
Gubernatorial elections
Gubernatorial election results Year Democratic Republican1950 48.3% 1,710,355 50.7% 1,796,1191954 53.7% 1,996,266 46.2% 1,717,0701958 50.8% 2,024,852 48.9% 1,948,7691962 44.3% 1,938,627 55.3% 2,424,9181966 46.1% 1,868,719 52.1% 2,110,3491970 55.2% 2,043,029 41.7% 1,542,8541974 53.7% 1,878,252 45.1% 1,578,9171978 46.4% 1,737,888 52.5% 1,996,0421982 48.1% 1,772,353 50.8% 1,872,7841986 50.4% 1,717,484 48.4% 1,638,2681990 67.7% 2,065,244 32.4% 987,5161994 39.9% 1,430,099 45.4% 1,627,9761998 31.0% 938,745 57.4% 1,736,8442002 53.4% 1,913,235 44.4% 1,589,4082006 60.3% 2,470,517 39.6% 1,622,1352010 45.5% 1,814,788 54.5% 2,172,7632014 54.9% 1,920,355 45.1% 1,575,5112018 57.8% 2,850,210 40.7% 2,015,2662022 56.5% 3,031,137 41.7% 2,238,477 The ten most recent elections: 2022 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 2018 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 2014 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 2010 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 2002 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 1994 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 1990 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election 1986 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election
Democrats and Republicans have alternated in the governorship of Pennsylvania every eight years from 1950 to 2010. This has been referred to as "the cycle", but it was broken with a Democratic Party win in 2014. Pennsylvania has also voted against the party of the sitting president in 19 of the last 21 gubernatorial contests dating back to 1938; Democrats lost 16 of the previous 18 Pennsylvania gubernatorial races with a Democratic president in the White House, a pattern begun in 1860.
Pennsylvania General Assembly elections The Pennsylvania General Assembly is a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Pennsylvania State Senate (the upper house) and the Pennsylvania House of Representatives (lower house). Members of the state house serve for 2 year terms, while the term for the state senate is 4 years. There are no limits on the amount of terms that members of the state legislature can serve. Republicans controlled the state House for all but four years from 1995 until 2023, and they have controlled the state Senate uninterrupted since 1993.
Senate The five most recent elections: 2024 Pennsylvania Senate election 2022 Pennsylvania Senate election 2020 Pennsylvania Senate election 2018 Pennsylvania Senate election 2016 Pennsylvania Senate election
House of Representatives The five most recent elections: 2024 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election 2022 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election 2020 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election 2018 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election 2016 Pennsylvania House of Representatives election
See also Electoral reform in Pennsylvania Political party strength in Pennsylvania Politics of Pennsylvania 2024 Pennsylvania elections Women's suffrage in Pennsylvania List of Pennsylvania ballot measures
References
External links Voting and Elections at the Pennsylvania Department of State official website
(State affiliate of the U.S. League of Women Voters) . (Also: 1995 & 1996, 1997 & 1998, 1999 & 2000, 2001 & 2002, 2003 & 2004, 2005 & 2006, 2007 & 2008, 2009 & 2010, 2011 & 2012, 2013 & 2014, 2015 & 2016, 2017 & 2018). Digital Public Library of America. Assorted materials related to Pennsylvania elections