1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election
	County results; Ridge: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80%; Itkin: 50–60%
Governor before election; Tom Ridge; Republican	Elected Governor ; Tom Ridge; Republican

The 1998 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1998. It was between incumbent Republican Tom Ridge, Democrat Ivan Itkin, Constitutionalist Peg Luksik and Libertarian Ken Krawchuk. Ridge, a popular moderate, won with 57% of the votes cast. As of 2021, this was the last time Delaware, Lackawanna and Montgomery counties have voted for the Republican candidate. It was also the first time since 1930 that Greene County, Fayette County, and Washington County voted Republican.

Primary Elections[]

Incumbent Governor Ridge ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. State Representative Ivan Itkin from Pittsburgh bested former Auditor General and US Representative Don Bailey from Greensburg and private detective and anti-corruption activist Bill Keisling from York. Itkin, although well not well known in the state, was a powerful figure in the legislature and had the backing of the party establishment, while the conservative Bailey drew strong union support.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Democratic primary, 1998^[1]
	Candidate	Votes	%
Democratic	Ivan Itkin	255,555	49.17
Democratic	Don Bailey	200,451	38.57
Democratic	Bill Keisling	63,696	12.26

Major party candidates[]

Democratic[]

Ivan Itkin, State Representative
- Running mate: Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky, former US Congresswoman

Republican[]

Tom Ridge, incumbent Governor
- Running mate: Mark Schweiker, incumbent Lieutenant Governor

Minor party candidates[]

Constitution[]

Peg Luksik, director of a pro-life organization

Running mate: Jim Clymer, attorney

Libertarian[]

Ken Krawchuk, technology consultant

Running mate: Henry Haller, attorney

Campaign[]

During this election cycle, Democrats struggled with fundraising issues and had difficulty recruiting a top tier candidate. Itkin, who had little name recognition statewide, was considered to be a sacrificial lamb. Peg Luksik, who was well known as an outspoken opponent of abortion, ran as a strong third party contender for the second consecutive election cycle; she emphasized the pro-choice stances of both candidates and drew votes in the state's rural, conservative center. However, Ridge's victory was never in doubt, as he ran on a generally positive record from his prior term and a combination of traditional Republican strategies (such as his "tough on crime" image) combined with his ability to somewhat undercut Democratic support (such as through his labor ties).^[2]

Results[]

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1998^[3]^[4]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Tom Ridge Running mate: Mark Schweiker	1,736,844	57.42
	Democratic	Ivan Itkin Running mate: Marjorie Margolies-Mezvinsky	938,745	31.03
	Constitution	Peg Luksik Running mate: Jim Clymer	315,761	10.43
	Libertarian	Ken Krawchuk Running mate: Henry Haller	33,591	1.11
	Write-In	—	281	0.01
Total votes			3,025,022	100.00
Turnout				41.67

References[]

^ http://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=187872.
^ Kennedy, John J. (2006). Pennsylvania Elections: Statewide Contests From 1950-2004. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761832799.
^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-94.
^ The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-16.

Sources

Cromwell, Gary E, ed. (1999). The Pennsylvania Manual. Vol. 114. Harrisburg: Pennsylvania Department of General Services. ISBN 0-8182-0248-3.

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[1] ttp://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=187872.

[kennedy-2] Kennedy, John J. (2006). Pennsylvania Elections: Statewide Contests From 1950-2004. University Press of America. ISBN 9780761832799.

[3] The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-94.

[4] The Pennsylvania Manual, p. 7-16.

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