Pennsylvania Republican Party | |
---|---|
Chairperson | Lawrence Tabas |
Senate President pro tempore | Kim Ward |
House Leader | Bryan Cutler |
Founded | 1854 |
Headquarters | 112 State Street Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17101-1024 |
Membership (2023) | 3,432,471 [1] |
Ideology | Conservatism |
Political position | Right-wing |
National affiliation | Republican Party |
Colors | Red |
U.S. Senate Seats | 0 / 2 |
U.S. House Seats | 8 / 17 |
Statewide Executive Offices | 2 / 5 |
Seats in the Senate of Pennsylvania | 28 / 50 |
Seats in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives | 100 / 203 |
State Supreme Court | 2 / 7 |
Website | |
pagop.org | |
The Pennsylvania Republican Party (PAGOP) is the affiliate of the Republican Party in the state of Pennsylvania. It is headquartered in Harrisburg. [2]
The party was founded on November 27, 1854, in Towanda (Bradford County) by former Congressman David Wilmot. Wilmot invited a small group of friends and political leaders to the organization's first meeting, which took place in his home. Among the attendees were Senator Simon Cameron, Congressman Thaddeus Stevens, Colonel Alexander McClure and future Governor Andrew Curtin. Wilmot convinced the group to form local Republican Clubs in their home counties. George Bloom made the Republican Party a statewide organization in 1959. He had the headquarters located in Harrisburg, where it remains to this day. [2]
Pennsylvania was dominated politically by the Democratic Party until around 1856. This is at least partially attributed to the desire of many in the state to promote its growing industries by raising taxes. From the period immediately preceding the Civil until the mid-1930s, political dominance in the state largely rested with the Republican Party. The party was led by a series of bosses, including Simon Cameron, J. Donald Cameron, Matthew Quay, and Boies Penrose. [3] Quay in particular was one of the dominant political figures of his era, as he served as chairman of the Republican National Committee and helped place Theodore Roosevelt on the 1900 Republican ticket. [4] During the period from the Civil War until the start of the Great Depression, Republican gubernatorial administrations outnumbered Democratic administrations by a margin of sixteen to two. Republican dominance was ended by the growing influence of labor and urbanization, and the implementation of the New Deal. [5] However, even after the New Deal, Republicans continued to control the governorship until George M. Leader's election in 1954, [3] and Republicans remain competitive in the state.
The first Republican governor was elected in 1861, and there was a Republican governor until 1883. The governorship alternated between Democrat and Republican every term until 1895. From 1895 until 1935, the GOP held an unbroken grip on the governor's office. Democrat George Howard Earle held the governorship for one term, from 1935 to 1939, after which time Republicans held the governorship until the 1954 election of state senator George Leader. Democrats continued to hold the governorship into 1963, following the 1958 election of Pittsburgh Mayor David Lawrence to succeed Leader.
Republicans Bill Scranton and Ray Shafer followed Lawrence. In 1968, state law was changed to allow governors to run for a second four-year term. However, in the 1970 election (the first which allowed the winner the opportunity to run for a second term), Democrat Milton Shapp defeated Shafer's Lieutenant Governor, Ray Broderick. Shapp was re-elected over GOP nominee Drew Lewis in 1974. [6]
This article is missing information about 2012, 2016, 2018, 2020, 2022 elections for PAGOP.(February 2023) |
After Democrat Jimmy Carter's victory in 1976 (in which he carried the state), Pennsylvania was carried by the Republican presidential nominee in three consecutive elections. In 1980, Ronald Reagan won 49.6% of the popular vote and Carter received 42.5%. In 1984 Reagan acquired 53% of the votes. In 1988 George Bush won with 50.7% of the popular vote against Michael Dukakis who obtained 48.4%. In 1992, Pennsylvania was carried by Democrat Bill Clinton, who received 45.1% of the popular vote and Republican Bush got 36.1%. In 1996 Clinton again carried the state with 49.2% of the vote against Bob Dole's 40%. Al Gore carried the state with 50.6% of the vote in 2000 and Bush only received 46.4%. Democrat John Kerry became the fourth straight Democratic presidential nominee to carry the state in 2004 receiving 51% and Bush obtained 48.3% of the votes. [6]
Republicans held both US Senate seats from 1968 to 1991. In 1991, after the death of Senator John Heinz, a special election was held. In the election, former Kennedy administration official and Democrat Harris Wofford defeated former governor Dick Thornburgh, who resigned as President Bush's Attorney General to run in the election. The Republican defeat was considered to be a major upset. Wofford went on to be defeated in his bid for a full six-year term in 1994 by Congressman Rick Santorum. Republicans would hold both of Pennsylvania's Senate seats until Santorum was defeated in his bid for a third term in 2006. [5]
In 1992, Democrats had the majorities in both houses of the General Assembly for the first time since 1978. [5] Following the 1994 state and federal elections, Republicans regained the majority in both houses of the General Assembly, as well as a majority of the state's Congressional seats.
In 1998, 42% of Pennsylvania's registered voters were Republican, 48% were Democrats, and the other 9% were either unaffiliated or with other parties.[ citation needed ]
By 2003, there were 12 Republicans and seven Democrats in the state's U.S. House delegation, as well as 29 Republicans and 21 Democrats in the state Senate, and 109 Republicans and 94 Democrats in the state House.[ citation needed ]
Two statewide elections took place in 2006. In the U.S. Senate race, State Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., son of former Governor Bob Casey, Sr., won nearly 59% of the vote, defeating incumbent Republican Rick Santorum. Santorum's margin of defeat was 18 points—the largest for an incumbent Republican Senator in state history. Casey also became the first Democrat elected to a full Senate term from Pennsylvania since Joseph Clark was re-elected in 1962. In the gubernatorial election, incumbent Democratic Governor Ed Rendell won a comfortable re-election over Republican challenger Lynn Swann. Rendell took 60% of the votes cast, while Swann took the remaining 40%. [6]
Democrats also retook the majority in the State House this year, though the balance-of-power in the State Senate remained the same. [6]
In 2008, Democrat Barack Obama won Pennsylvania's 21 electoral votes with a total of about 3.2 million votes (54.7%). The Republican nominee, John McCain, won about 2.7 million votes (44.3%). [7]
There were also three other statewide elections that year. Republican State Attorney General Tom Corbett was re-elected with 52.4% of the vote, defeating Democrat John Morganelli. Republicans have held the office of Attorney General since it became an elected one in 1980. The State Auditor General, Democrat Jack Wagner, was re-elected with 59% of the vote, while Democrat Rob McCord was elected State Treasurer with 55% of the vote. [7]
There were three major statewide judicial contests in 2009. In the election for Justice of the State Supreme Court, Republican Joan Orie Melvin garnered about 900,000 votes (53.2%), defeating Democrat Jack Panella, who garnered about 800,000 votes (46.8%). [7]
The other two elections were for the state's two intermediate appellate courts. In the election for four judges to the State Superior Court, there were nine candidates. Of the winners, three were Republicans and one Democrat. Additionally, in the election for two judges to the Commonwealth Court, Republicans Patricia McCullough and Kevin Broboson came-out on top of a four-candidate field. [7]
There were two statewide elections held in Pennsylvania in 2010. In the election for United States Senate, Republican nominee Pat Toomey garnered about 2.2 million votes (51%), defeating Democrat Joe Sestak, who garnered about 1.9 million votes (49%). Sestak had defeated incumbent Senator Arlen Specter in the Democratic primary after Specter, who had been a Republican since his election to the Senate in 1980, switched his partisan affiliation to Democratic. Specter's partisan defection had briefly given Democrats control of both of Pennsylvania's Senate seats for the first time since before the Civil War. In the gubernatorial election, Tom Corbett garnered about 2.1 million votes (54.5%), defeating Democrat Dan Onorato, who garnered about 1.8 million votes (45.5%). [7]
Republicans also retook the majority in the State House, which was captured by Democrats in 2006. [7] The party maintained its majority in the State Senate, which it has held since 1994.
Incumbent Republican Governor Tom Corbett ran for re-election to a second term but was defeated by Democrat Tom Wolf. This marked the first time an incumbent Governor running for re-election in Pennsylvania lost. [8]
The Pennsylvania Republican Party control two of the five statewide offices and holds a majority in the Pennsylvania State Senate. Republicans hold none of the state's U.S. Senate seats, 8 of the state's 17 House seats, and a minority in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives. [2]
District | Member | Photo |
---|---|---|
1st | Brian Fitzpatrick | |
9th | Dan Meuser | |
10th | Scott Perry | |
11th | Lloyd Smucker | |
13th | John Joyce | |
14th | Guy Reschenthaler | |
15th | Glenn Thompson | |
16th | Mike Kelly |
Most members are elected every four years in the Republican primary election by county. Each county party chairman is a state committee member by virtue of office.
The breakdown of members per county, along with caucus of county is as follows: [2]
County | Members | Caucus |
Adams | 3 | Central |
Allegheny | 21 | Southwest |
Armstrong | 3 | Southwest |
Beaver | 4 | Southwest |
Bedford | 3 | Central |
Berks | 9 | Central |
Blair | 4 | Central |
Bradford | 3 | Northeast |
Bucks | 18 | Southeast |
Butler | 6 | Northwest |
Cambria | 3 | Southwest |
Cameron | 2 | Northwest |
Carbon | 2 | NECRA |
Clarion | 2 | Northwest |
Centre | 4 | Central |
Chester | 15 | Southeast |
Clearfield | 3 | Northwest |
Clinton | 2 | Central |
Columbia | 3 | Central |
Crawford | 3 | Northwest |
Cumberland | 8 | Central |
Dauphin | 8 | Central |
Delaware | 20 | Southeast |
Elk | 2 | Northwest |
Erie | 7 | Northwest |
Fayette | 3 | Southwest |
Forest | 2 | Northwest |
Franklin | 5 | Central |
Fulton | 2 | Central |
Greene | 2 | Southwest |
Huntingdon | 3 | Central |
Indiana | 3 | Southwest |
Jefferson | 2 | Northwest |
Juniata | 2 | Central |
Lackawanna | 4 | Northeast |
Lancaster | 16 | Central |
Lawrence | 3 | Northwest |
Lebanon | 4 | Central |
Lehigh | 8 | NECRA |
Luzerne | 7 | Northeast |
Lycoming | 5 | Central |
McKean | 3 | Northwest |
Mercer | 3 | Northwest |
Mifflin | 2 | Central |
Monroe | 4 | Northeast |
Montgomery | 20 | Southeast |
Montour | 2 | Central |
Northampton | 7 | NECRA |
Northumberland | 3 | Central |
Perry | 3 | Central |
Philadelphia | 16 | Southeast |
Pike | 3 | Northeast |
Potter | 2 | Northwest |
Schuylkill | 5 | NECRA |
Snyder | 2 | Central |
Somerset | 3 | Southwest |
Sullivan | 2 | Central |
Susquehanna | 3 | Northeast |
Tioga | 3 | Northeast |
Union | 2 | Central |
Venango | 3 | Northwest |
Warren | 2 | Northwest |
Washington | 4 | Southwest |
Wayne | 3 | Northeast |
Westmoreland | 8 | Southwest |
Wyoming | 2 | Northeast |
York | 12 | Central |
The 1978 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, in the middle of Democratic President Jimmy Carter's term. The 33 seats of Class 2 were contested in regular elections. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 2, 2004, in 11 states and two territories. There was no net gain in seats for either party, as Democrats picked up an open seat in Montana while defeating incumbent Craig Benson in New Hampshire, while Republicans defeated incumbent Joe Kernan in Indiana and won Missouri after Bob Holden lost in the primary. These elections coincided with the presidential election.
The 2006 United States Senate elections were held on November 7, 2006, with all 33 Class 1 Senate seats being contested. The term of office for those elected in 2006 ran from January 3, 2007, to January 3, 2013. Prior to the election cycle, the Republican Party controlled 55 of the 100 Senate seats.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 7, 2006, in 36 states and two territories. The elections coincided with the midterm elections of the United States Senate and the United States House of Representatives.
The 2006 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 7, 2006 and included the races for the Governor of Pennsylvania and Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Incumbent Democratic Governor Ed Rendell successfully ran for re-election. Pennsylvania's first female lieutenant governor, Catherine Baker Knoll, was also running for re-election.
The 2006 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 2006. Incumbent Republican Rick Santorum ran for re-election to a third term, but was defeated by Democratic State Treasurer Bob Casey, Jr., the son of former Pennsylvania governor Bob Casey Sr. Casey was elected to serve between January 3, 2007 and January 3, 2013.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 4, 2008, in 11 states and two territories. Prior to the election, eight of the total seats were held by Democrats and five by Republicans. Two governors were prohibited by term limits from seeking re-election in 2008. The only governorship to change party was the open seat in Missouri, which was won by a Democrat after being previously held by a Republican.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 5, 2002, in 36 states and two territories. The Republicans won eight seats previously held by the Democrats, as well as the seat previously held by Minnesota governor Jesse Ventura, who was elected on the Reform Party ticket but had since renounced his party affiliation. The Democrats won 10 seats previously held by the Republicans, as well as the seat previously held by Maine governor Angus King, an independent. The elections were held concurrently with the other United States elections of 2002.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 6, 2001, in two states and one territory, as well as other statewide offices and members of state legislatures.
The Pennsylvania Democratic Party is the affiliate of the Democratic Party in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. It is headquartered in Harrisburg and is the largest political party in the state. Its chair is Senator Sharif Street.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 2009, in the states of New Jersey and Virginia, as well as in the U.S. commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands on November 7, 2009. Both state governorships were previously held by Democrats elected in 2005, and both were won by Republicans in 2009; the local Covenant Party maintained control of the governorship of the Marianas. These elections formed part of the 2009 United States elections. As of 2024, this is the last election after which the Democratic party held a majority of governorships.
The 2008 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 4, 2008, during the war on terror and the onset of the Great Recession. It was a considered a Democratic wave election, with Democratic Senator Barack Obama of Illinois defeating Senator John McCain of Arizona by a wide margin, and the Democrats bolstering their majorities in both chambers of Congress.
The 2012 United States elections took place on November 6, 2012. Democratic President Barack Obama won reelection to a second term and the Democrats gained seats in both chambers of Congress, retaining control of the Senate even though the Republican Party retained control of the House of Representatives. As of 2024, this is the most recent election cycle in which neither the presidency nor a chamber of Congress changed partisan control, and the last time that the party that won the presidency simultaneously gained seats in both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The 2001 United States elections were held on November 6 of that year. The 2001 recession was a dominant issue throughout the year as well as the September 11 attacks and subsequent war on terror.
The 2012 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 6, 2012, alongside a presidential election, other elections to the United States Senate in other states, as well as elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Bob Casey, Jr. ran for and won re-election to a second term, defeating Republican nominee Tom Smith, and Libertarian nominee Rayburn Smith.
The 1998 Florida gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998, to determine the Governor for the State of Florida. Two-term Democratic incumbent Governor Lawton Chiles was term-limited and could not run for re-election. John Ellis "Jeb" Bush, who had previously run for governor in 1994 was the Republican nominee, and incumbent Lieutenant Governor Kenneth Hood "Buddy" MacKay was the Democratic nominee. Bush defeated MacKay by nearly 11% of the vote, and won his first of two terms as governor.
The 1988 United States elections were held on November 8 and elected the President of the United States and members of the 101st United States Congress. Republican Vice President George H. W. Bush defeated Democratic Governor of Massachusetts Michael Dukakis. Despite Dukakis' defeat, the Democratic Party built on their majorities in Congress.
The 2014 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 3, 2020, in 11 states and two territories. The previous gubernatorial elections for this group of states took place in 2016, except in New Hampshire and Vermont where governors only serve two-year terms. These two states elected their current governors in 2018. Nine state governors ran for reelection and all nine won, while Democrat Steve Bullock of Montana could not run again due to term limits and Republican Gary Herbert of Utah decided to retire at the end of his term.
United States gubernatorial elections were held on November 8, 2022, in 36 states and three territories. As most governors serve four-year terms, the last regular gubernatorial elections for all but two of the seats took place in the 2018 U.S. gubernatorial elections. The gubernatorial elections took place concurrently with several other federal, state, and local elections, as part of the 2022 midterm elections.
{{cite journal}}
: Cite journal requires |journal=
(help)