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.
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 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).
| Election | Incumbent governor | Elected governor | Votes | Runner(s)-up | Votes | Margin | Notes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1790 | Office established | Thomas Mifflin | 27,974 (90.71%) | 2,864 (9.29%) | 25,110 (81.42%) | [6] | |||||
| 1793 | Thomas Mifflin | Thomas Mifflin | 20,479 (65.47%) | Frederick Muhlenberg | 10,802 (34.53%) | 9,677 (29.94%) | [7] | ||||
| 1796 | Thomas Mifflin | Thomas Mifflin | 30,020 (96.31%) | Frederick Muhlenberg | 1,011 (3.24%) | 29,009 (93.07%) | [8] | ||||
| 1799 | Thomas Mifflin | Thomas McKean | 37,244 (53.29%) | James Ross | 32,643 (46.71%) | 4,601 (6.58%) | [9] | ||||
| 1802 | Thomas McKean | Thomas McKean | 47,879 (73.76%) | James Ross | 17,037 (26.24%) | 30,842 (47.52%) | [10] | ||||
| 1805 | Thomas McKean | Thomas McKean | 43,644 (53.14%) | Simon Snyder | 38,483 (46.86%) | 5,161 (6.28%) | [11] | ||||
| 1808 | Thomas McKean | Simon Snyder | 67,975 (60.93%) | James Ross | 39,575 (35.48%) | 28,400 (25.45%) | [12] | ||||
| 1811 | Simon Snyder | Simon Snyder | 52,319 (93.55%) | William Tilghman | 3,609 (6.45%) | 48,710 (87.1%) | [13] | ||||
| 1814 | Simon Snyder | Simon Snyder | 51,099 (63.35%) | Isaac Wayne | 29,566 (36.65%) | 21,533 (26.7%) | [14] | ||||
| 1817 | Simon Snyder | William Findlay | 66,331 (52.81%) | Joseph Hiester | 59,272 (47.19%) | 7,059 (5.62%) | [15] | ||||
| 1820 | William Findlay | Joseph Hiester | 67,905 (50.60%) | William Findlay | 66,300 (49.40%) | 1,605 (1.2%) | [16] | ||||
| 1823 | Joseph Hiester | John Andrew Shulze | 89,928 (59.24%) | Andrew Gregg | 64,211 (42.30%) | 25,717 (16.94%) | [17] | ||||
| 1826 | John Andrew Shulze | John Andrew Shulze | 72,710 (96.87%) | John Sergeant | 1,175 (3.13%) | 71,535 (93.74%) | [18] | ||||
| 1829 | John Andrew Shulze | George Wolf | 78,219 (60.17%) | Joseph Ritner | 51,776 (39.83%) | 26,443 (20.34%) | [19] | ||||
| 1832 | George Wolf | George Wolf | 91,335 (50.88%) | Joseph Ritner | 88,165 (49.12%) | 3,170 (1.76%) | [20] | ||||
| 1835 | George Wolf | Joseph Ritner | 94,023 (46.91%) | George Wolf (Ind. Dem.) | 65,804 (32.83%) | 28,219 (14.08%) | [21] | ||||
| 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%) | [22] | ||||
| 1841 | David R. Porter | David R. Porter | 136,504 (54.60%) | John Banks | 113,473 (45.40%) | 23,031 (9.2%) | [23] | ||||
| 1844 | David R. Porter | Francis R. Shunk | 160,959 (50.69%) | Joseph Markle | 156,562 (49.31%) | 4,397 (1.38%) | [24] | ||||
| 1847 | Francis R. Shunk | Francis R. Shunk | 146,181 (50.86%) | James Irvin | 128,148 (44.58%) | 17,976 (6.28%) | [25] | ||||
| 1848 | William F. Johnston | William F. Johnston | 168,522 (50.04%) | Morris Longstreth | 168,225 (49.96%) | 302 (0.08%) | [26] [27] | ||||
| 1851 | William F. Johnston | William Bigler | 186,499 (51.16%) | William F. Johnston | 178,034 (48.84%) | 8,465 (2.32%) | [28] | ||||
| 1854 | William Bigler | James Pollock | 204,008 (54.99%) | William Bigler | 167,001 (45.01%) | 37,007 (9.98%) | [29] | ||||
| 1857 | James Pollock | William F. Packer | 188,887 (52.01%) | David Wilmot | 146,136 (40.24%) | 42,751 (11.77%) | [30] | ||||
| 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%) | [31] | ||||
| 1863 | Andrew Curtin | Andrew Curtin | 269,506 (51.46%) | George Woodward | 254,171 (48.54%) | 15,335 (2.92%) | [32] | ||||
| 1866 | Andrew Curtin | John W. Geary | 307,274 (51.44%) | Hiester Clymer | 290,096 (48.56%) | 17,178 (2.88%) | [33] | ||||
| 1869 | John W. Geary | John W. Geary | 290,552 (50.40%) | Asa Packer | 285,956 (49.60%) | 4,596 (0.8%) | [34] | ||||
| 1872 | John W. Geary | John F. Hartranft | 353,387 (52.55%) | Charles R. Buckalew | 317,760 (49.60%) | 35,627 (2.95%) | [35] | ||||
| 1875 | John F. Hartranft | John F. Hartranft | 304,175 (49.90%) | Cyrus L. Pershing | 292,145 (47.93%) | 12,030 (1.97%) | [36] | ||||
| 1878 | John F. Hartranft | Henry M. Hoyt | 319,567 (45.51%) | Andrew H. Dill | 297,061 (42.31%) | 22,506 (3.2%) | [37] | ||||
| 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%) | [38] [39] | ||||
| 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%) | [40] | ||||
| 1890 | James A. Beaver | Robert E. Pattison | 464,209 (50.02%) | George W. Delamater | 447,655 (45.12%) | 16,554 (4.9%) | [41] [42] | ||||
| 1894 | Robert E. Pattison | Daniel H. Hastings | 574,801 (60.31%) | William M. Singerly | 334,404 (34.98%) | 241,397 (25.33%) | [43] | ||||
| 1898 | Daniel H. Hastings | William A. Stone | 476,206 (49.01%) | George A. Jenks | 358,300 (36.87%) | 117,906 (12.14%) | [44] | ||||
| 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%) | [45] [46] | ||||
| 1906 | Samuel W. Pennypacker | Edwin Stuart | 506,418 (50.31%) | Lewis Emery Jr. | 458,064 (45.51%) | 48,354 (4.8%) | [47] | ||||
| 1910 | Edwin Stuart | John K. Tener | 415,614 (41.63%) | William H. Berry | 382,127 (38.27%) | 33,487 (3.36%) | [48] [49] | ||||
| 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%) | [50] | ||||
| 1918 | Martin Brumbaugh | William Sproul | 552,537 (61.05%) | Eugene C. Bonniwell | 305,315 (33.74%) | 247,222 (27.31%) | [51] | ||||
| 1922 | William Sproul | Gifford Pinchot | 831,696 (56.79%) | John A. McSparran | 581,625 (39.71%) | 250,071 (17.08%) | [52] | ||||
| 1926 | Gifford Pinchot | John Fisher | 1,102,823 (73.35%) | Eugene C. Bonniwell | 365,280 (24.29%) | 737,543 (49.06%) | [53] | ||||
| 1930 | John Fisher | Gifford Pinchot | 1,068,874 (50.77%) | John M. Hemphill | 1,010,204 (47.98%) | 58,670 (2.79%) | [54] [55] | ||||
| 1934 | Gifford Pinchot | George Earle | 1,476,377 (50.04%) | William A. Schnader | 1,410,138 (47.80%) | 66,239 (2.24%) | [56] | ||||
| 1938 | George Earle | Arthur James | 2,035,340 (53.39%) | Charles Jones | 1,756,192 (46.07%) | 279,148 (7.32%) | [57] | ||||
| 1942 | Arthur James | Edward Martin | 1,367,531 (53.67%) | F. Clair Ross | 1,149,897 (45.13%) | 217,634 (8.54%) | [58] | ||||
| 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%) | [59] [60] | ||||
| 1950 | James H. Duff | John S. Fine | 1,796,119 (50.74%) | Richardson Dilworth | 1,710,355 (48.31%) | 85,764 (2.43%) | [61] | ||||
| 1954 | John S. Fine | George M. Leader | 1,990,266 (53.58%) | Lloyd H. Wood | 1,717,070 (46.23%) | 273,196 (7.35%) | [62] | ||||
| 1958 | George M. Leader | David L. Lawrence | 2,024,852 (50.79%) | Arthur T. McGonigle | 1,948,769 (48.88%) | 76,083 (1.91%) | [63] | ||||
| 1962 | David L. Lawrence | William Scranton | 2,424,918 (55.39%) | Richardson Dilworth | 1,938,627 (44.28%) | 486,291 (11.11%) | [64] | ||||
| 1966 | William Scranton | Raymond P. Shafer | 2,110,349 (52.10%) | Milton Shapp | 1,868,719 (46.13%) | 241,630 (5.97%) | [65] | ||||
| 1970 | Raymond P. Shafer | Milton Shapp | 2,043,029 (55.22%) | Raymond J. Broderick | 1,542,854 (41.70%) | 500,175 (13.52%) | [66] | ||||
| 1974 | Milton Shapp | Milton Shapp | 1,878,252 (53.66%) | Andrew L. Lewis, Jr. | 1,578,917 (45.11%) | 299,335 (11.96%) | [67] | ||||
| 1978 | Milton Shapp | Dick Thornburgh | 1,966,042 (52.54%) | Peter F. Flaherty | 1,737,888 (46.44%) | 228,154 (6.1%) | [68] | ||||
| 1982 | Dick Thornburgh | Dick Thornburgh | 1,872,784 (50.84%) | Allen E. Ertel | 1,772,353 (46.44%) | 100,431 (4.4%) | [69] | ||||
| 1986 | Dick Thornburgh | Robert P. Casey | 1,717,484 (50.69%) | William Scranton III | 1,638,268 (48.35%) | 79,216 (2.34%) | [70] | ||||
| 1990 | Robert P. Casey | Robert P. Casey | 2,065,281 (67.65%) | Barbara Hafer | 987,463 (32.35%) | 1,077,818 (35.3%) | [71] | ||||
| 1994 | Robert P. Casey | Tom Ridge | 1,627,976 (45.40%) | Mark Singel | 1,430,099 (39.89%) | 197,877 (5.51%) | [72] | ||||
| 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%) | [73] | ||||
| 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%) | [74] [75] | ||||
| 2006 | Ed Rendell | Ed Rendell | 2,470,517 (60.36%) | Lynn Swann | 1,622,135 (39.64%) | 848,382 (20.72%) | [76] | ||||
| 2010 | Ed Rendell | Tom Corbett | 2,172,763 (54.49%) | Dan Onorato | 1,814,788 (45.51%) | 357,975 (8.98%) | [77] | ||||
| 2014 | Tom Corbett | Tom Wolf | 1,920,355 (54.93%) | Tom Corbett | 1,575,511 (45.07%) | 344,844 (9.86%) | [78] | ||||
| 2018 | Tom Wolf | Tom Wolf | 2,895,652 (57.77%) | Scott Wagner | 2,039,882 (40.70%) | 855,770 (17.07%) | [79] | ||||
| 2022 | Tom Wolf | Josh Shapiro | 3,031,137 (56.05%) | Doug Mastriano | 2,238,477 (41.07%) | 792,660 (14.40%) | [80] | ||||