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PENNSYLVANIARace Summary
TOP RACES
GOVERNOR: Gov. Tom Ridge (R), first elected in 1994, is seeking a second term; state Rep. Ivan Itkin (D) and Peg Luksik (I) are his challengers.
SENATE: Sen. Arlen Specter (R), first elected in 1980, is seeking a fourth term; state Rep. Bill Lloyd (D) is his challenger.
back to top 1998 POLLSback to topPOLL HOURS7 a.m. to 8 p.m. ET back to top SENATOR AND GOVERNOR NOT UP IN 1998Sen. Rick Santorum (R), first elected 1994; next election in 2000. back to top VACANCIESback to top HOUSE DISTRICTS
Robert Brady (D); William M. Harrison (R) Chaka Fattah (inc.) (D); Anne Marie Mulligan (R) Robert Borski (inc.) (D); Charles Dougherty (R) Ron Klink (inc.) (D); Mike Turzai (R) No Democratic candidate; John E. Peterson (inc.) (R) Tim Holden (inc.) (D); John Meckley (R) Martin D'Urso (D); Curt Weldon (inc.) (R) Bill Tuthill (D); Jim Greenwood (inc.) (R) No Democratic candidate; Bud Shuster (inc.) (R) Patrick Casey (D); Donald L. Sherwood (R) Paul E. Kanjorski (inc.) (D); Stephen A. Urban (R) John Murtha (inc.) (D); Timothy Holloway (R) Joseph Hoeffel (D); Jon D. Fox (inc.) (R) William J. Coyne (inc.) (D); Bill Ravotti (R) Roy Afflerbach (D); Pat Toomey (R) No Democratic candidate; Joseph Pitts (inc.) (R) No Democratic candidate; George Gekas (inc.) (R) Mike Doyle (inc.) (D); Dick Walker (R) Linda Ropp (D); Bill Goodling (inc.) (R) Frank Mascara (inc.) (D); no Republican candidate Larry Klemens (D); Phil English (inc.) (R) back to top PRIMARY DATE
May 19 back to top FILING DEADLINEMarch 10 back to top STATEWIDE BALLOT MEASURESTotal Number: 2
To Watch:
Governor: Republican back to top STATE LEGISLATIVE ELECTIONS
Senate: 25 seats up back to top PARTY REGISTRATION
State Projected Voting Age Population: 9,197,000 (1996)
back to top ELECTORAL VOTES23 PRESIDENTIAL VOTING HISTORYClinton won in 1996; Clinton in 1992; Bush in 1988; Reagan in 1984; Reagan in 1980; Carter in 1976; Nixon in 1972; Humphrey in 1968; Johnson in 1964; Kennedy in 1960. LAST TIME VOTED DEMOCRATIC FOR PRESIDENT: 1996PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1996:
Clinton 49% PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1992:
Clinton 45.1% PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1988:
Bush 51% PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1984:
Reagan 53% PRESIDENTIAL VOTE IN 1980:
Reagan 50% back to top PAST EXIT POLLS1992: 1994: 1996: back to top TURNOUTHistorical voter turnout as a percentage of the voting age population 1996-1960 back to top DEMOGRAPHICS
Population: 12,056,000 (1996)
White: 89.6% Persons of Hispanic origin account for 1.6% of the voting population (from 1990 Census) back to top STATE TIDBITSState Capital: Harrisburg Pennsylvania, once the world's steel capital, also has one of the country's richest histories. The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution were written and signed in Philadelphia, and in its heyday, the state was home to much of America's heavy industry. But population growth has slowed, and the state has lost nine congressional seats since 1960. Pennsylvania is a national leader in restricting abortion. Its anti-abortion laws, shepherded to passage by former Democratic Gov. Bob Casey, were upheld by the Supreme Court in 1992. The Keystone State tends to be culturally conservative and economically liberal. In recent years Pennsylvania has trended Republican, with the GOP holding the governorship and both Senate seats. But that edge is small -- Sens. Specter and Santorum won their most recent elections with only 49 percent of the vote and Gov. Tom Ridge was elected with only 45 percent. And presidentially the state hasn't favored either party. back to top RELATED SITESNOTE: External sites will open in a new browser window. Government:
Pennsylvania Secretary of the Commonwealth News Media:CNN Affiliates
WGAL (Harrisburg) State Newspapers
Philadelphia Daily News/The Inquirer General Interest:The White Househttp://www.whitehouse.gov/WH/Welcome.html The House of Representatives http://www.house.gov/ The Senate http://www.senate.gov/ Library of Congress -- The Legislative Branch http://lcweb.loc.gov/global/legislative/congress.html Congressional Quarterly's American Voter http://voter.cq.com/ Congressional Quarterly's VoteWatch http://pathfinder.com/CQ/ THOMAS: Legislative Information on the Internet http://thomas.loc.gov/ Federal Election Commission http://www.fec.gov/ Democratic National Committee http://www.democrats.org/ Republican National Committee http://www.rnc.org/ Project Vote Smart http://www.vote-smart.org Policy.com http://www.policy.com/ Updated: October 25, 1998 |