Political party strength in Pennsylvania
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Partisan identification in the electorate
On July 10, 2023, the Pennsylvania Department of State reported that there were 3,890,435 (45.2%) registered Democrats, 3,432,657 (39.9%) registered Republicans, 929,364 (10.8%) registered unaffiliated and 346,280 (4.0%) registered with other parties.[1]
Partisan affiliation of elected officials
The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania:
The table also indicates the historical party composition in the:
- State senate
- State house of representatives
- State delegation to the United States Senate
- State delegation to the United States House of Representatives
Following the 2020 Census, Pennsylvania lost one seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. As a result, starting with the general election of 2022, Pennsylvania sent 17 members to the house, and beginning with the general election of 2024 will have 19 electoral votes.
1777–1790
| Year | Executive offices | State Legislature | United States Congress | Electoral votes | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| President[a] | Vice President[a] | Executive Council | Senator (Class I) | Senator (Class III) | House | ||
| 1777 | Thomas Wharton Jr. (CS) | George Bryan (CS) | 51CS, 15RS, 6? | began in 1789 | |||
| 1778 | George Bryan (CS) | 54CS, 7?, 5RS | |||||
| 1779 | Joseph Reed (CS) | Matthew Smith | 43CS, 26RS, 3? | ||||
| 1780 | William Moore (I) | 51CS, 14RS, 7? | |||||
| 1781 | 41CS, 31RS | ||||||
| 1782 | William Moore (I) | James Potter (CS) | 38CS, 36RS | ||||
| 1783 | John Dickinson (RS) | James Ewing (RS) | 39RS, 34CS, 1? | ||||
| 1784 | 44RS, 29CS | ||||||
| 1785 | James Irvine (CS) | 56CS, 18RS | |||||
| 1786 | Benjamin Franklin (I) | Charles Biddle | 38RS, 37CS | ||||
| 1787 | 41RS, 28CS | ||||||
| 1788 | Peter Muhlenberg | 37RS, 32CS | |||||
| 1789 | Thomas Mifflin (RS) | George Ross | 47RS, 22CS | William Maclay (AA) | Robert Morris (PA) | 6PA, 2AA | George Washington (I) / John Adams (F) 
|
| 1790 | 42RS, 27CS | ||||||
1791–1872
| Year | Executive offices | State Legislature | United States Congress | Electoral votes | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Governor | Auditor General | State Senate | State House | U.S. Senator (Class I) | U.S. Senator (Class III) | U.S. House | ||
| 1791 | Thomas Mifflin (F) | not an elected office | 10F, 8DR | 36F, 33DR | vacant | Robert Morris (PA) | 4PA, 4AA | |
| 1792 | 42F, 27DR | George Washington (I) / John Adams (F)
| ||||||
| 1793 | 9F, 9DR[b] | 8AA, 5PA | ||||||
| 1794 | 10F, 8DR | 48F, 21DR | Albert Gallatin (AA) | |||||
| James Ross (PA) | ||||||||
| 1795 | 14F, 10DR | 49F, 29DR | James Ross (F) | William Bingham (F) | 8DR, 5F | |||
| 1796 | 15F, 9DR | 45F, 33DR | 7DR, 6F | Thomas Jefferson (DR)  /John Adams (F)
| ||||
| 1797 | 44F, 34DR | 8DR, 5F | ||||||
| 1798 | 41F, 37DR | |||||||
| 1799 | 47F, 31DR | 9DR, 4F | ||||||
| 1800 | Thomas McKean (DR) | 16F, 8DR | 41DR, 37F | Thomas Jefferson (DR) / John Adams (F)
| ||||
| 1801 | 13F, 11DR | 55DR, 23F | Peter Muhlenberg (DR) | 10DR, 3F | ||||
| George Logan (DR) | ||||||||
| 1802 | 17DR, 8F | 71DR, 15F | ||||||
| 1803 | 21DR, 4F | 77DR, 9F | Samuel Maclay (DR) | 18DR | ||||
| 1804 | 24DR, 1F | 81DR, 5F | Thomas Jefferson/ George Clinton (DR)
| |||||
| 1805 | 25DR | 78DR, 8F | 17DR, 1F | |||||
| 1806 | Thomas McKean (Quid) | 15Const, 10DR[c] | 53Const, 33DR[c] | |||||
| 1807 | 13Const, 12DR[c] | 46DR, 40Const[c] | Andrew Gregg (DR) | 15DR, 3F | ||||
| 1808 | 14DR, 7Quid, 4F | 43DR, 23F, 20Quid[d] | James Madison/ George Clinton (DR)
| |||||
| 1809 | Simon Snyder (DR) | 19DR, 7Quid, 5F | 74DR, 21F | Michael Leib (DR) | 16DR, 2F | |||
| 1810 | 22DR, 6F, 3Quid | 73DR, 15F, 7Quid | ||||||
| 1811 | 21DR, 7F, 3Quid | 72DR, 17F, 6Quid | 17DR, 1F | |||||
| 1812 | 26DR, 5F | 84DR, 11F | James Madison/ Elbridge Gerry (DR)
| |||||
| 1813 | 77DR, 18F | Abner Lacock (DR) | 22DR, 1F | |||||
| 1814 | 25DR, 6F | 85DR, 10F | Jonathan Roberts (DR) | 21DR, 2F | ||||
| 1815 | 21DR, 10F | 71DR, 24F | 19DR, 4F | |||||
| 1816 | 19DR, 12F | 71DR, 26F | James Monroe/ Daniel D. Tompkins (DR)
| |||||
| 1817 | 57DR, 30F, 10Quid | |||||||
| 1818 | William Findlay (DR) | 55DR, 42F[e] | ||||||
| 1819 | 20DR, 11F | 64DR, 33F | Walter Lowrie (DR) | |||||
| 1820 | 23DR, 6F, 2Quid | 67DR, 24F, 6Quid | 18DR, 5F | |||||
| 1821 | Joseph Hiester (DR) | 20DR, 11F | 52F, 45DR | vacant | 15DR, 8F | |||
| 1822 | 17DR, 14F | 67DR, 30F | William Findlay (DR) | 16DR, 7F | ||||
| 1823 | 23DR, 10F | 71DR, 29F | 20DR, 6F | |||||
| 1824 | John Andrew Shulze (DR) | 21DR, 11F, 1? | 77DR, 23F | Andrew Jackson/ John C. Calhoun (DR)
| ||||
| 1825 | 26DR, 7F | 79DR, 21F | William Findlay (J) | William Marks (NR) | 14J, 11DR, 1F | |||
| 1826 | 27DR, 6F | 77DR, 23F | 17J, 9DR | |||||
| 1827 | 74DR, 26F | Isaac D. Barnard (J) | 22J, 3DR, 1NR | |||||
| 1828 | 26J, 7NR | 76J, 22NR, 2 vac. | Andrew Jackson/ John C. Calhoun (D)
| |||||
| 1829 | 89J, 11NR | 24J, 1A-M, 1NR | ||||||
| 1830 | George Wolf (J) | 26J, 6NR, 1A-M | 87J, 13A-M | |||||
| 1831 | 25J, 5NR, 4A-M | 72J, 28A-M | William Wilkins (J) | 17J, 7A-M, 2NR | ||||
| 1832 | 23J, 6A-M, 4NR | 74J, 22A-M, 4NR | George M. Dallas (J) | Andrew Jackson/ Martin Van Buren (D)
| ||||
| 1833 | 22J, 9A-M, 2NR | 61J, 33A-M, 5NR, 1? | Samuel McKean (J) | 14J, 10A-M, 4NR | ||||
| 1834 | 24J, 7A-M, 2NR | 64J, 25A-M, 11NR | ||||||
| 1835 | 25J, 6A-M, 2W | 62J, 27A-M, 11W | James Buchanan (J) | 17J, 7A-M, 4NR | ||||
| 1836 | Joseph Ritner (A-M) | 23D, 9A-M, 1W | 72A-M/W, 28D | Martin Van Buren/ Richard Mentor Johnson (D)
| ||||
| 1837 | 15D, 12W, 6A-M[f] | 72D, 21A-M, 7W | Samuel McKean (D) | James Buchanan (D) | 16D, 7A-M, 3W, 2J | |||
| 1838 | 19W, 14D | 56D, 44W | ||||||
| 1839 | David R. Porter (D) | 18W, 15D | vacant | 17D, 6W, 5A-M | ||||
| 1840 | 17D, 16W | 69D, 31W | Daniel Sturgeon (D) | William Henry Harrison/ John Tyler (W)
| ||||
| 1841 | 20W, 13D | 55W, 45D | 15D, 13W | |||||
| 1842 | 17W, 16D | 64D, 34W, 2WM | ||||||
| 1843 | 19D, 14W | 57D, 40W, 2WM, 1I | 12D, 12W | |||||
| 1844 | 22D, 11W | 58D, 42W | 13W, 11D | James K. Polk/ George M. Dallas (D)
| ||||
| 1845 | Francis R. Shunk (D) | 21D, 11W, 1KN | 51D, 41W, 8KN | Simon Cameron (D) | 12D, 10W, 2KN | |||
| 1846 | 18W, 14D, 1KN | 67D, 33W | ||||||
| 1847 | 56W, 44D | 16W, 7D, 1KN | ||||||
| 1848 | 19W, 14D | 64D, 36W | 15W, 8D, 1KN | Zachary Taylor/ Millard Fillmore (W)
| ||||
| William F. Johnston (W) | ||||||||
| 1849 | 21W, 12D | 50D, 45W, 5KN[g] | James Cooper (W) | 11W, 11D, 1KN, 1FS | ||||
| 1850 | 17D, 16W | 59D, 41W | ||||||
| 1851 | Ephraim Banks (D) | 16W, 16D, 1I[h] | 60D, 36W, 2ID, 1IW, 1 vac. | Richard Brodhead (D) | 15D, 9W | |||
| 1852 | William Bigler (D) | 17W, 16D | 58D, 37W, 5KN | Franklin Pierce/ William R. King (D)
| ||||
| 1853 | 17W, 15D, 1KN | 62D, 38W | 16D, 9W | |||||
| 1854 | 18D, 14W, 1KN | 70D, 26W, 4KN | ||||||
| 1855 | James Pollock (W) | 17D, 15W, 1KN | 46W, 32D, 22KN[i] | vacant | 13O, 7D, 3W, 1R, 1KN | |||
| 1856 | 17D, 16Fus | 66D, 34Fus | William Bigler (D) | James Buchanan/ John C. Breckinridge (D)
| ||||
| 1857 | Jacob Fry Jr. (D) | 18Fus, 15D | 53D, 47Fus | Simon Cameron (R) | 15D, 10R | |||
| 1858 | William F. Packer (D) | 21D, 12R | 68D, 30R, 2I | 14D, 11R | ||||
| 1859 | 17D, 16R | 67R, 33D | 20R, 5D | |||||
| 1860 | Thomas E. Cochran (R) | 21R, 12D | 66R, 34D | Abraham Lincoln/ Hannibal Hamlin (R)
| ||||
| 1861 | Andrew Gregg Curtin (R) | 27R, 6D | 71R, 29D | David Wilmot (R) | Edgar Cowan (R) | 19R, 6D | ||
| 1862 | 23R, 10D | 51D, 49R | 17R, 8D | |||||
| 1863 | Isaac Slenker (D) | 21R, 12D | 55D, 45R | Charles R. Buckalew (D) | 12R, 12D | |||
| 1864 | 17R, 16D | 52R, 48D | Abraham Lincoln/ Andrew Johnson (NU)
| |||||
| 1865 | 20R, 13D | 64R, 36D | 15R, 9D | |||||
| 1866 | John F. Hartranft (R) | 21R, 12D | 67R, 33D | 16R, 8D | ||||
| 1867 | John W. Geary (R) | 62R, 38D | Simon Cameron (R) | 18R, 6D | ||||
| 1868 | 19R, 14D | 54R, 46D | Ulysses S. Grant/ Schuyler Colfax (R)
| |||||
| 1869 | 18R, 15D | 62R, 38D | John Scott (R) | 16R, 8D | ||||
| 1870 | 60R, 40D | 18R, 6D | ||||||
| 1871 | 17D, 16R | 55R, 45D | 13R, 11D | |||||
| 1872 | 17R, 16D | 63R, 39D, 1I | Ulysses S. Grant/ Henry Wilson (R)
| |||||
| C. D. Brigham | ||||||||
| Year | Governor | Auditor General | State Senate | State House | U.S. Senator (Class I) | U.S. Senator (Class III) | U.S. House | Electoral votes |
| Executive offices | State Legislature | United States Congress | ||||||
1873–1978
1978–present
- ^ a b From 1777 to 1790, Pennsylvania had a series of presidents and vice presidents of The Supreme Council.
- ^ A Federalist, Anthony Morris, was elected as Speaker of the chamber.[2]
- ^ a b c d The Federalists and Quids, who were moderates within the Democratic-Republican Party, formed a coalition in the 1805 election and called themselves the Constitutionalists; when they achieved a majority, they organized the chamber together, and this coalition continued in succeeding elections.[3]
- ^ Elected Nathaniel Boileau, a Democratic-Republican, as Speaker.
- ^ Some sources begin to cite the Federalists at the state level as Independent Republicans starting with this year.
- ^ The Whigs and Anti-Masons formed a coalition to govern the chamber.
- ^ A Democrat, William F. Packer, was elected as Speaker, and Democrats organized the chamber.
- ^ A Whig, Benjamin Matthias, was elected as Speaker of the Senate on the 7th Ballot.[4]
- ^ A Whig, Henry K. Strong, was elected in a coalition between the Whigs and Know-Nothings.
- ^ Effective with the Constitution of 1874, Senators began to serve four-year terms, after a transition period starting with the election of 1874 and continuing through the election of 1876.
- ^ Effective with the Constitution of 1874, House members began to serve two-year terms starting with the election of 1874.
- ^ a b c d e Died in office.
- ^ Due to the Democratic Lt. Governor casting the deciding vote, the Democrats took control of the chamber.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Appointed to fill a vacancy.
- ^ a b c d Resigned.
- ^ Appointed by Governor Casey in May 1991 after Heinz's death and won a special election in November 1991 for the remainder of the term.
- ^ Sen. Frank Pecora switched parties from Republican to Democratic, but in the case of ties, the Lt. Governor casts the deciding vote, and as a Democrat, he gave his party control.[5]
- ^ After months of turmoil, a special election result was thrown out that had been won by Democrat William G. Stinson, who had succeeded fellow Democrat Francis Lynch. A federal judge awarded the election to Republican Bruce Marks. Additionally, Democrat Eugene Scanlon's death in March 1994 gave Republicans control.[6]
- ^ As lieutenant governor, filled vacancy in office of governor.
- ^ a b As president pro tempore of the state Senate, filled vacancy in office of lieutenant governor.
- ^ Resigned following election to U.S. Senate.
- ^ Elected a Republican Speaker.
- ^ William H. Ryan Jr. served as acting Attorney General from January (when Corbett was inaugurated as governor) until Kelly's nomination was confirmed by the State Senate.
- ^ Republican Deputy Attorney General Bruce Castor served for 13 days from August 17–30 between Kane's resignation and Beemer's assumption of the office.
- ^ Democrat Conor Lamb won a special election to fill a vacancy for Pennsylvania's 18th Congressional District, left by Republican Timothy F. Murphy's resignation. Democrats Mary Gay Scanlon and Susan Wild won special elections to fill seats left vacant by Republicans Pat Meehan/
Charlie Dent respectively. - ^ Republican Don C. White resigned in February 2019 and Republican Joe Pittman was elected in May 2019 to succeed him.[citation needed] Also, Republican Mike Folmer resigned in September 2019 and Republican Dave Arnold was elected to succeed him in a January 2020 special election.[10][11]
- ^ John Yudichak (District 14) switched parties from Democratic to Independent in November 2019 and began caucusing with the Republican majority.[12]
See also
- Democratic Party of Pennsylvania
- Elections in Pennsylvania
- Green Party of Pennsylvania
- Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania
- Politics of Pennsylvania
- Republican Party of Pennsylvania
References
- ^ "Voting and Election Statistics, Current Registration Statistics". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "Anthony Morris". The official website for the Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "John Randolph and the Old Republicans". Boundless. July 21, 2015. Archived from the original on September 19, 2015.
- ^ Journal of the Senate of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. 1851. pp. 8–9.
- ^ "Frank A Pecora". Pennsylvania General Assembly. Retrieved January 3, 2017.
- ^ Eshleman Jr., Russell E. (March 11, 1994). "Pa. Sen. Scanlon Dies, Leaving Senate in Grief, GOP in Lead Regardless of the Stinson Outcome, the Republicans Are Now the Majority and Can Control the Action". Philadelphia Inquirer. p. B06. Archived from the original on January 3, 2016.
- ^ Levy, Marc (January 31, 2015). "Pennsylvania treasurer Rob McCord says he will plead guilty to federal charges". Lancaster Online. Associated Press. Retrieved May 20, 2015.
- ^ Switched parties from Republican to Democratic on April 28, 2009.
- ^ Cullinane, Susannah; Ellis, Ralph (2016-08-16). "Pennsylvania Attorney General Kathleen Kane resigning". CNN Politics. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "PoliticsPA". Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "Dave Arnold wins 48th Senatorial District special election". Local 21 News. 2020-01-14. Retrieved 2021-06-24.
- ^ "Pa. Dems lose a state senator: John Yudichak of Luzerne County declares himself independent, will caucus with GOP". pennlive. 2019-11-19. Retrieved 2021-06-24.