1974 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election
November 5, 1974 (1974-11-05)
 
Nominee Milton Shapp Drew Lewis
Party Democratic Republican
Running mate Ernie Kline Ken Lee
Popular vote 1,878,252 1,578,917
Percentage 53.7% 45.1%
County results
Shapp:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Lewis:      40-50%      50-60%      60-70%
Governor before election

Milton Shapp
Democratic

 Elected Governor

Milton Shapp
Democratic

The 1974 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 5. Incumbent Democratic Governor Milton Shapp defeated Republican Drew Lewis. Under the state's 1968 constitution, Shapp was the first governor who was eligible to run for consecutive terms.[1][2]

Primary elections

Candidates

Incumbent Governor Shapp easily dispelled a spirited challenge from Martin Mullen, a state representative from Philadelphia who was well known as a firebrand conservative opponent of abortion and pornography.

1974 Democratic gubernatorial primary[3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Milton Shapp (incumbent) 729,201 70.41%
Democratic Martin Mullen 199,613 19.27%
Democratic Harvey Johnston 106,474 10.28%
Total votes 1,035,288 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

With a short Republican bench, wealthy staffing executive Drew Lewis was the only serious contender in the race.

Results

1974 Republican gubernatorial primary[4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Drew Lewis 534,637 76.67%
Republican Alvin Jacobson 97,072 13.91%
Republican Leonard Strunk 63,868 9.15%
Total votes 695,577 100.00%


General election

Candidates

  • Stephen Depue (Constitutional)
    • Running mate: Ellis Werft
  • Drew Lewis, staffing executive (Republican)
    • Running mate: Ken Lee, Speaker of the State House of Representatives
  • Roberta Scherr (Socialist Workers)
    • Running mate: Fred Stanton
  • Milton Shapp, incumbent Governor (Democratic)
    • Running mate: Ernie Kline, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

Campaign

Shapp's popularity had waned somewhat since his comfortable victory in 1970; although he could claim to have saved the state from bankruptcy, he did so at the expense of large tax increases. Furthermore, Shapp, an unabashed liberal, had difficulty rekindling support from the state's rural, socially conservative regions. However, Shapp and Democrats as a whole received a significant boost from the Watergate scandal; with President Richard Nixon's popularity in a tailspin, many of the top tier Republicans declined to run. Instead, the party turned to the wealthy businessman Lewis, who was able to project an "outsider" image. Lewis focused on local issues and greatly undercut Shapp in rural areas; despite lagging at the polls in traditional Democratic strongholds such as Pittsburgh and Scranton, Shapp preserved a moderate victory by winning the combined vote of suburban Philadelphia, an unexpected accomplishment for a Democrat at the time.[5]

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1974[6][7]
Party Candidate Running mate Votes Percentage
Democratic Milton Shapp (Incumbent) Ernie Kline (Incumbent) 1,878,252 53.66%
Republican Drew Lewis Ken Lee 1,578,917 45.11%
Constitutional Stephen Depue Ellis Werft 33,691 0.96%
Socialist Workers Roberta Scherr[a] Fred Stanton 8,980 0.26%
Write-ins Write-in 374 0.01%
Totals 3,500,214 100.00%
Voter turnout (Voting age population) 63.31%

Notes

a. ^ Scherr, at the time, was only 21 years old and, therefore, ineligible to be governor.[8]

References

  1. ↑ "Democrats Regain Control." Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: The Philadelphia Inquirer, November 6, 1974, p. 7 (subscription required).
  2. ↑ Allan Jr., William. "Wait Until Next Time, County Republicans Sigh." Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania: The Pittsburgh Press, November 6, 1974, p. 2 (subscription required).
  3. ↑ "Our Campaigns - PA Governor- D Primary Race - May 21, 1974".
  4. ↑ "Our Campaigns - PA Governor- R Primary Race - May 21, 1974".
  5. ↑ Kennedy, John J. (2006). Pennsylvania Elections: Statewide Contests From 1950-2004. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761832799.
  6. ↑ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 626.
  7. ↑ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 625.
  8. ↑ Ostrosky, Steve (November 1, 1974). "Will Shapp deny Lewis". The Daily Collegian. Pennsylvania State University.

Sources

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