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. 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.
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. 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. 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. The next gubernatorial election in Pennsylvania is scheduled to be held on November 3, 2026.
The list below contains election returns from all sixty-seven gubernatorial elections in Pennsylvania sorted by year, beginning with the first in 1790 and ending with the most recent in 2022. 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 PartiesAs listed on the ballot and in election returns.
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%) 1793 Thomas Mifflin* Thomas Mifflin 20,479 (65.47%) Frederick Muhlenberg 10,802 (34.53%) 9,677 (29.94%) 1796 Thomas Mifflin Thomas Mifflin 30,020 (96.31%) Frederick Muhlenberg 1,011 (3.24%) 29,009 (93.07%) 1799 Thomas Mifflin Thomas McKean 37,244 (53.29%) James Ross 32,643 (46.71%) 4,601 (6.58%) 1802 Thomas McKean Thomas McKean 47,879 (73.76%) James Ross 17,037 (26.24%) 30,842 (47.52%) 1805 Thomas McKean Thomas McKean 43,644 (53.14%) Simon Snyder 38,483 (46.86%) 5,161 (6.28%) 1808 Thomas McKean Simon Snyder 67,975 (60.93%) James Ross 39,575 (35.48%) 28,400 (25.45%) 1811 Simon Snyder Simon Snyder 52,319 (93.55%) William Tilghman 3,609 (6.45%) 48,710 (87.1%) 1814 Simon Snyder Simon Snyder 51,099 (63.35%) Isaac Wayne 29,566 (36.65%) 21,533 (26.7%) 1817 Simon Snyder William Findlay 66,331 (52.81%) Joseph Hiester 59,272 (47.19%) 7,059 (5.62%) 1820 William Findlay Joseph Hiester 67,905 (50.60%) William Findlay 66,300 (49.40%) 1,605 (1.2%) 1823 Joseph Hiester John Andrew Shulze 89,928 (59.24%) Andrew Gregg 64,211 (42.30%) 25,717 (16.94%) 1826 John Andrew Shulze John Andrew Shulze 72,710 (96.87%) John Sergeant 1,175 (3.13%) 71,535 (93.74%) 1829 John Andrew Shulze George Wolf 78,219 (60.17%) Joseph Ritner 51,776 (39.83%) 26,443 (20.34%) 1832 George Wolf George Wolf 91,335 (50.88%) Joseph Ritner 88,165 (49.12%) 3,170 (1.76%) 1835 George Wolf Joseph Ritner 94,023 (46.91%) George Wolf 65,804 (32.83%) 28,219 (14.08%) 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%) 1841 David R. Porter David R. Porter 136,504 (54.60%) John Banks 113,473 (45.40%) 23,031 (9.2%) 1844 David R. Porter Francis R. Shunk 160,959 (50.69%) Joseph Markle 156,562 (49.31%) 4,397 (1.38%) 1847 Francis R. Shunk Francis R. Shunk 146,181 (50.86%) James Irvin 128,148 (44.58%) 17,976 (6.28%) 1848 William F. Johnston William F. Johnston 168,522 (50.04%) Morris Longstreth 168,225 (49.96%) 302 (0.08%) 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. 1851 William F. Johnston William Bigler 186,499 (51.16%) William F. Johnston 178,034 (48.84%) 8,465 (2.32%) 1854 William Bigler James Pollock 204,008 (54.99%) William Bigler 167,001 (45.01%) 37,007 (9.98%) 1857 James Pollock William F. Packer 188,887 (52.01%) David Wilmot 146,136 (40.24%) 42,751 (11.77%) Isaac Hazlehurst 28,132 (7.75%) 1860 William F. Packer Andrew Curtin 262,353 (53.26%) Henry Foster 230,239 (46.74%) 32,114 (6.52%) 1863 Andrew Curtin Andrew Curtin 269,506 (51.46%) George Woodward 254,171 (48.54%) 15,335 (2.92%) 1866 Andrew Curtin John W. Geary 307,274 (51.44%) Hiester Clymer 290,096 (48.56%) 17,178 (2.88%) 1869 John W. Geary John W. Geary 290,552 (50.40%) Asa Packer 285,956 (49.60%) 4,596 (0.8%) 1872 John W. Geary John F. Hartranft 353,387 (52.55%) Charles R. Buckalew 317,760 (49.60%) 35,627 (2.95%) 1875 John F. Hartranft John F. Hartranft 304,175 (49.90%) Cyrus L. Pershing 292,145 (47.93%) 12,030 (1.97%) 1878 John F. Hartranft Henry M. Hoyt 319,567 (45.51%) Andrew H. Dill 297,061 (42.31%) 22,506 (3.2%) Samuel R. Mason 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%) This was the first Pennsylvania gubernatorial election to be held in the modern quadrennial cycle. John Stewart 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%) 1890 James A. Beaver Robert E. Pattison 464,209 (50.02%) George W. Delamater 447,655 (45.12%) 16,554 (4.9%) Pattison was elected for his second, non-contiguous term as Governor in 1890. 1894 Robert E. Pattison Daniel H. Hastings 574,801 (60.31%) William M. Singerly 334,404 (34.98%) 241,397 (25.33%) 1898 Daniel H. Hastings William A. Stone 476,206 (49.01%) George A. Jenks 358,300 (36.87%) 117,906 (12.14%) 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%) Former Governor Pattison ran for a third non-consecutive term. 1906 Samuel W. Pennypacker Edwin Stuart 506,418 (50.31%) Lewis Emery Jr. 458,064 (45.51%) 48,354 (4.8%) 1910 Edwin Stuart John K. Tener 415,614 (41.63%) William H. Berry 382,127 (38.27%) 33,487 (3.36%) Berry appeared on the ballot as the candidate of the Keystone Party. 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%) 1918 Martin Brumbaugh William Sproul 552,537 (61.05%) Eugene C. Bonniwell 305,315 (33.74%) 247,222 (27.31%) 1922 William Sproul Gifford Pinchot 831,696 (56.79%) John A. McSparran 581,625 (39.71%) 250,071 (17.08%) 1926 Gifford Pinchot John Fisher 1,102,823 (73.35%) Eugene C. Bonniwell 365,280 (24.29%) 737,543 (49.06%) 1930 John Fisher Gifford Pinchot 1,068,874 (50.77%) John M. Hemphill 1,010,204 (47.98%) 58,670 (2.79%) Pinchot was elected for his second, non-contiguous term as Governor in 1930. 1934 Gifford Pinchot George Earle 1,476,377 (50.04%) William A. Schnader 1,410,138 (47.80%) 66,239 (2.24%) 1938 George Earle Arthur James 2,035,340 (53.39%) Charles Jones 1,756,192 (46.07%) 279,148 (7.32%) 1942 Arthur James Edward Martin 1,367,531 (53.67%) F. Clair Ross 1,149,897 (45.13%) 217,634 (8.54%) 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%) Governor Martin resigned to assume a seat in the United States Senate. Accordingly, Lt. Gov. Bell finished the remainder of the term. 1950 James H. Duff John S. Fine 1,796,119 (50.74%) Richardson Dilworth 1,710,355 (48.31%) 85,764 (2.43%) 1954 John S. Fine George M. Leader 1,990,266 (53.58%) Lloyd H. Wood 1,717,070 (46.23%) 273,196 (7.35%) 1958 George M. Leader David L. Lawrence 2,024,852 (50.79%) Arthur T. McGonigle 1,948,769 (48.88%) 76,083 (1.91%) 1962 David L. Lawrence William Scranton 2,424,918 (55.39%) Richardson Dilworth 1,938,627 (44.28%) 486,291 (11.11%) 1966 William Scranton Raymond P. Shafer 2,110,349 (52.10%) Milton Shapp 1,868,719 (46.13%) 241,630 (5.97%) 1970 Raymond P. Shafer Milton Shapp 2,043,029 (55.22%) Raymond J. Broderick 1,542,854 (41.70%) 500,175 (13.52%) 1974 Milton Shapp Milton Shapp 1,878,252 (53.66%) Andrew L. Lewis, Jr. 1,578,917 (45.11%) 299,335 (11.96%) 1978 Milton Shapp Dick Thornburgh 1,966,042 (52.54%) Peter F. Flaherty 1,737,888 (46.44%) 228,154 (6.1%) 1982 Dick Thornburgh Dick Thornburgh 1,872,784 (50.84%) Allen E. Ertel 1,772,353 (46.44%) 100,431 (4.4%) 1986 Dick Thornburgh Robert P. Casey 1,717,484 (50.69%) William Scranton III 1,638,268 (48.35%) 79,216 (2.34%) 1990 Robert P. Casey Robert P. Casey 2,065,281 (67.65%) Barbara Hafer 987,463 (32.35%) 1,077,818 (35.3%) 1994 Robert P. Casey Tom Ridge 1,627,976 (45.40%) Mark Singel 1,430,099 (39.89%) 197,877 (5.51%) 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%) 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%) 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. 2006 Ed Rendell Ed Rendell 2,470,517 (60.36%) Lynn Swann 1,622,135 (39.64%) 848,382 (20.72%) 2010 Ed Rendell Tom Corbett 2,172,763 (54.49%) Dan Onorato 1,814,788 (45.51%) 357,975 (8.98%) 2014 Tom Corbett Tom Wolf 1,920,355 (54.93%) Tom Corbett 1,575,511 (45.07%) 344,844 (9.86%) 2018 Tom Wolf Tom Wolf 2,895,652 (57.77%) Scott Wagner 2,039,882 (40.70%) 855,770 (17.07%) 2022 Tom Wolf Josh Shapiro 3,031,137 (56.05%) Doug Mastriano 2,238,477 (41.07%) 792,660 (14.40%)
See also List of governors of Pennsylvania List of United States Senate elections in Pennsylvania List of United States presidential elections in Pennsylvania Elections in Pennsylvania Government of Pennsylvania
Notes
References
External links Pennsylvania Department of State Election Returns Portal Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns (1789-2003) from the Wilkes University Election Statistics Project