1996 Pennsylvania Senate election

1996 Pennsylvania Senate election

← 1994 November 5, 1996 1998 →
All odd-numbered seats in the Pennsylvania State Senate 26 seats needed for a majority
Majority party Minority party   Leader Robert Jubelirer Bob Mellow Party Republican Democratic Leader since March 15, 1994 January 3, 1989 Leader's seat 30th 22nd Last election 29 21 Seats won 15 10 Seats after 30 20 Seat change 1 1 Popular vote 1,102,937 982,343 Percentage 52.62% 46.87%
Results by gains and holds Results by winning party vote share      Democratic hold      Republican hold     Republican gain      No election Republican:     50–60%     60–70%     >90% Democratic:     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%     80–90%     >90%
President Pro Tempore before election Robert Jubelirer Republican Elected President Pro Tempore Robert Jubelirer Republican

The 1996 elections for the Pennsylvania State Senate were held on November 5, with 25 of 50 districts being contested. Primary elections were held on April 23, 1996. ^[1] The term of office for those elected in 1996 would begin when the Senate convenes in January 1997. Pennsylvania State Senators are elected for four-year terms, with half of the seats up for election every two years. ^[2] The election coincided with the 1996 United States presidential election, United States House of Representatives elections and the election of the entirety of the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.

Republicans had controlled the chamber since the 1994 election.

Results summary

Retiring incumbents

Democrats

1. District 35: William J. Stewart retired.

Republicans

1. District 19: Earl M. Baker retired.
2. District 21: Tim Shaffer retired.
3. District 25: John Peterson retired to run for Congress.
4. District 37: Mike Fisher retired to run for Attorney General.

Incumbents defeated in primary

Democrats

1. District 39: Eugene Porterfield lost renomination to Allen Kukovich.

Primary elections

Democratic primary 1996 Pennsylvania Senate elections Democratic primary [1] District Candidates Votes Percent 1 Vince Fumo 16,945 100.00 3 Roxanne Jones 17,954 100.00 5 Tom Mills 6,367 100.00 7 Vincent Hughes 17,218 100.00 9 Robert L. Felker 3,637 100.00 11 Michael O'Pake 9,717 100.00 13 Bill Saylor 4,789 100.00 15 D. Ann Smilek 7,147 100.00 17 Dave Romine 5,606 100.00 19 Sara R. Nichols 4,321 100.00 21 Robert Thomas 7,840 52.86 Larry M. Kriess 6,993 47.14 23 No candidate filed for party. 25 Curt Bowley 6,175 45.77 Lugene Inzana 5,166 38.30 Ronald Lee Bills Sr. 2,149 15.93 27 No candidate filed for party. 29 No candidate filed for party. 31 James Hoefler 6,364 100.00 33 No candidate filed for party. 35 John N. Wozniak 12,575 41.15 P. J. Stevens 11,833 38.72 Daniel Kane 4,244 13.89 Linda Jo Berkey 1,906 6.24 37 Gregory Fajt 19,143 100.00 39 Allen Kukovich 17,492 55.30 Eugene Porterfield 14,139 44.70 41 Patrick J. Stapleton Jr. 15,324 100.00 43 Jay Costa 17,632 57.77 Rich Talarico 6,694 21.93 Steve Luncinski 3,563 11.67 George John Tkach 2,632 8.62 45 Albert Belan 24,043 100.00 47 Gerald LaValle 23,898 100.00 49 Anthony Andrezeski 15,604 100.00

Republican primary 1996 Pennsylvania Senate elections Republican primary [1] District Candidates Votes Percent 1 Ron A. Reilly 2,800 100.00 3 Michael G. Floyd 1,493 100.00 5 Frank A. Salvatore 7,843 100.00 7 Edward P. Bevans 1,590 100.00 9 Clarence D. Bell 23,101 100.00 11 Scott C. Carbon 6,518 100.00 13 Gibson E. Armstrong 15,059 100.00 15 Jeffrey Piccola 17,202 100.00 17 Richard Tilghman 16,439 100.00 19 Robert J. Thompson 19,721 100.00 21 Mary Jo White 6,055 25.63 John R. McMillin Jr. 5,575 23.60 Robert Kasenter 5,019 21.25 Mark D. Burd 2,822 11.95 Brian D. Knapp 2,608 11.04 Jan K. Richardson 1,545 6.54 23 Roger A. Madigan 16,566 100.00 25 Bill Slocum 8,028 32.25 Joe Scarnati 7,677 30.84 Ron Orris 5,273 21.18 Michael A. Aiello 3,918 15.74 27 Edward Helfrick 12,064 100.00 29 James J. Rhoades 14,322 100.00 31 Harold Mowery 17,442 100.00 33 Terry L. Punt 14,336 100.00 35 Samuel F. Rizzo 11,255 100.00 37 Tim Murphy 11,402 69.89 John Schnatterly 4,912 30.11 39 Charles H. Frederickson 8,834 100.00 41 George R. Kepple 12,903 100.00 43 Kathy Matta 6,041 100.00 45 Dick Reid 7,586 100.00 47 No candidate filed for party. 49 Jane Earll 12,031 100.00

General election

Overview

Statewide outlook ^[3]

Affiliation		Candidates	Votes	%	Seats before	Seats up	Seats won	Seats after
	Republican	24	1,102,937	52.62	29	14	15 (1)	30
	Democratic	21	982,343	46.87	21	11	10 (1)	20
	Write-in	-	6,484	0.31	-	-	-	-
	Libertarian	1	4,162	0.20	0	0	0 ()	0
Total		46	2,095,926	100.00	50	25	25	50

Close races

Five district races had winning margins of less than 15%:

District	Winner	Margin
District 41	Democratic	6.5%
District 49	Republican (flip)	10.7%
District 37	Republican	10.7%
District 13	Republican	13.1%
District 25	Republican	14.2%

District breakdown

District	Party		Incumbent	Status	Party		Candidate	Votes	%
1		Democratic	Vince Fumo	Re-elected		Democratic	Vince Fumo	57,267	78.65
						Republican	Ron A. Reilly	15,542	21.35
3		Democratic	Roxanne Jones	Died [a]		Democratic	Shirley Kitchen	58,218	88.01
						Republican	Michael G. Floyd	7,934	11.99
5		Republican	Frank A. Salvatore	Re-elected		Republican	Frank A. Salvatore	46,575	59.27
						Democratic	Tom Mills	32,011	40.73
7		Democratic	Vincent Hughes	Re-elected		Democratic	Vincent Hughes	64,846	89.04
						Republican	Edward P. Bevans	7,980	10.96
9		Republican	Clarence D. Bell	Re-elected		Republican	Clarence D. Bell	59,882	65.42
						Democratic	Robert L. Felker	31,647	34.58
11		Democratic	Michael O'Pake	Re-elected		Democratic	Michael O'Pake	58,108	72.90
						Republican	Scott C. Carbon	21,602	27.10
13		Republican	Gibson E. Armstrong	Re-elected		Republican	Gibson E. Armstrong	48,125	56.54
						Democratic	Bill Saylor	36,987	43.46
15		Republican	Jeffrey Piccola	Re-elected		Republican	Jeffrey Piccola	60,100	66.96%
						Democratic	D. Ann Smilek	29,660	33.04%
17		Republican	Richard Tilghman	Re-elected		Republican	Richard Tilghman	59,823	58.75
						Democratic	Dave Romine	42,004	41.25
19		Republican	Earl M. Baker	Retired		Republican	Robert J. Thompson	60,122	62.70
						Democratic	Thomas J. Bosak	31,601	32.96
						Libertarian	Thomas F. McGrady Jr.	4,162	4.34
21		Republican	Tim Shaffer	Retired		Republican	Mary Jo White	51,532	60.04
						Democratic	Robert Thomas	34,303	39.96
23		Republican	Roger A. Madigan	Re-elected		Republican	Roger A. Madigan	62,044	100.00
25		Republican	John Peterson	Retired to run for Congress		Republican	Bill Slocum	46,804	57.11
						Democratic	Curt Bowley	35,144	42.89
27		Republican	Edward Helfrick	Re-elected		Republican	Edward Helfrick	58,000	100.00
29		Republican	James J. Rhoades	Re-elected		Republican	James J. Rhoades	81,872	100.00
31		Republican	Harold Mowery	Re-elected		Republican	Harold Mowery	61,004	67.88
						Democratic	James M. Hoefler	28,869	32.12
33		Republican	Terry L. Punt	Re-elected		Republican	Terry L. Punt	82,599	100.00
35		Democratic	William J. Stewart	Retired		Democratic	John N. Wozniak	59,505	70.54
						Republican	Samuel F. Rizzo	24,855	29.46
37		Republican	Mike Fisher	Retired to run for Attorney General		Republican	Tim Murphy	59,434	55.36
						Democratic	Gregory Fajt	47,919	44.64
39		Democratic	Eugene Porterfield	Defeated in primary		Democratic	Allen Kukovich	51,071	60.96
						Republican	Charles H. Frederickson	32,704	39.04
41		Democratic	Patrick J. Stapleton Jr.	Re-elected		Democratic	Patrick J. Stapleton Jr.	43,439	53.25
						Republican	George R. Kepple	38,138	46.75
43		Democratic	Jay Costa	Re-elected		Democratic	Jay Costa	60,890	71.00
						Republican	Kathy Matta	24,867	29.00
45		Democratic	Albert Belan	Re-elected		Democratic	Albert Belan	53,518	64.06
						Republican	Dick Reid	30,032	35.94
47		Democratic	Gerald LaValle	Re-elected		Democratic	Gerald LaValle	83,905	100.00
49		Democratic	Anthony Andrezeski	Defeated		Republican	Jane Earll	51,367	55.35
						Democratic	Anthony Andrezeski	41,431	44.65

See also

• Elections in Pennsylvania
• List of Pennsylvania state legislatures

Notes

1. Jones died on May 19, 1996, after winning the primary. Shirley Kitchen was chosen as the Democratic nominee.

References

1. The Pennsylvania Manual . Vol. 113. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. 1997. p. 7-10. ISSN   0275-8814.
2. Center, Legislativate Data Processing. "Members of the Senate". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved October 8, 2019.
3. The Pennsylvania Manual . Vol. 113. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. 1997. p. 7-23. ISSN   0275-8814.