1990 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

The Pennsylvania Gubernatorial election of 1990 was held on November 6, 1990. Incumbent Democratic Robert P. Casey easily defeated Republican Barbara Hafer. Governor Casey defeated Hafer by a margin of 35.29%, and carried 66 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties.

1990 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

November 6, 1990

Nominee Bob Casey Barbara Hafer Party Democratic Republican Running mate Mark Singel Harold Mowery Popular vote 2,065,244 987,516 Percentage 67.63% 32.34%

County Results Casey:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Hafer:      50–60%

Governor before election Robert P. Casey Democratic Elected Governor Robert P. Casey Democratic

Primary elections

Incumbent Bob Casey was challenged by Philip J. Berg, an attorney and perennial candidate from Montgomery County. Endorsed Republican candidate Barbara Hafer, Auditor General and former candidate for Lt. Governor, won a surprisingly close race over Peg Luksik, outspoken pro-life proponent.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Democratic primary election, 1990[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Bob Casey	636,594	77.54
	Democratic	Philip J. Berg	184,365	22.46

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Republican primary election, 1990[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Barbara Hafer	321,026	54.43
	Republican	Peg Luksik	268,773	45.57

Candidates

Democratic

• Bob Casey, incumbent Governor
  • running mate: Mark Singel, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

Republican

• Barbara Hafer, State Auditor General
  • running mate: Harold Mowery, State Representative

Campaign

Despite his controversial stances on abortion, Casey had maintained enormous popularity in the state and was considered to have a generally positive record from his first term as governor. In addition to having the traditionally strong backing of urban voters and organized labor, Casey performed well in many heavily Republican, rural counties, as he was seen as a relatively conservative populist. Hafer, a pro-choice Republican, oddly often positioned herself as the more liberal candidate; she was unable to gain a funding foothold or to carve out a strong public image, which led to her defeat by a large margin. At one point during the campaign, she referred to Casey as a "redneck Irishman." This was widely reported, and helped to alienate both rural voters and those of Irish descent.[3] Casey, winning with the second-largest gubernatorial landslide in the state in the 20th century, was able to win almost every county, losing only in Montgomery County by 586 votes.

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1990[4][5]
Party		Candidate	Running mate	Votes	Percentage
	Democratic	Bob Casey	Mark Singel	2,065,244	67.63%
	Republican	Barbara Hafer	Harold Mowery	987,463	32.34%
	Write-ins	Write-ins		906	0.03%
Totals				3,053,666	100.00%
Voter turnout (Voting age population)					53.96%

Notes

1. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=212774.
2. http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=212775.
3. Kennedy, John J. (2006). Pennsylvania Elections: Statewide Contests From 1950-2004. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761832799.
4. The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 671.
5. The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 633.

References

• DiFlaviana, Kathleen, ed. (1991). The Pennsylvania Manual. 110. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. ISBN 0-8182-0145-2.