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 County results Congressional district results Precinct resultsRendell: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Fisher: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 50% No data | ||||||||||||||||||||
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The2002 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 2002, to elect theGovernor andLieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. IncumbentRepublican GovernorMark Schweiker, who took office in 2001 whenTom Ridge resigned to becomeHomeland Security Advisor, was eligible to run for a full term, but did not do so.DemocratEd Rendell, the formermayor of Philadelphia andChair of the Democratic National Committee, emerged from a competitive primary to win the general election against RepublicanPennsylvania Attorney GeneralMike Fisher.
Rendell won the election, with commentators attributing his victory to "endless retail politicking" and a hard-working campaign.[1] The political websitePoliticsPA praised Rendell's campaign team ofDavid L. Cohen,David W. Sweet, andSandi Vito.[1] Fisher's strategy backfired; Rendell performed well in much of Eastern Pennsylvania and he was able to win by huge margins in even many traditionally Republican suburbs.[2]
Rendell was the first official from Philadelphia to win the governorship since 1914.[2] This was the first time since 1826 that a Democrat won all four of Philadelphia's suburban counties and the first time since 1970 that a Democrat wonMontgomery County in a gubernatorial election.
Attorney General Mike Fisher ran unopposed for the Republican nomination. Although incumbent GovernorMark Schweiker was eligible to run for election to a full term (he had served only a partial term afterTom Ridge resigned to becomeHomeland Security Advisor), he chose not to seek his party's nomination. Despite polls showing that Schweiker polled well among the same groups that backed Ridge, the Republican establishment considered Schweiker to be a weak candidate and stood steadfast behind Fisher.[2]
In the Democratic primary, formermayor of PhiladelphiaEd Rendell defeatedPennsylvania Auditor GeneralBob Casey Jr., bucking the "myth that a Philadelphian could never win" a statewide election. Despite strong support from organized labor for Casey, lackluster campaigning combined with Rendell's ability to cast himself as a strong executive allowed him to pull out a primary win.[3]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Rendell | 702,442 | 56.55% | |
| Democratic | Bob Casey Jr. | 539,794 | 43.45% | |
| Total votes | 1,242,236 | 100.00% | ||
Fisher emphasized Rendell's Philadelphia roots continuously during his campaign and described the mayor as an urban liberal whose programs would require huge tax increases.[2]
| Poll source | Date(s) administered | Sample size[a] | Margin of error | Ed Rendell (D) | Mike Fisher (R) | Other / Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[5] | October 26–28, 2002 | 668 (LV) | ± 3.9% | 56% | 37% | 7% |
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[6] | Lean D(flip) | October 31, 2002 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[7] | Likely D(flip) | November 4, 2002 |
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ed Rendell | 1,913,235 | 53.40 | |
| Republican | Mike Fisher | 1,589,408 | 44.40 | |
| Libertarian | Ken V. Krawchuk | 40,923 | 1.14 | |
| Green | Mike Morrill | 38,423 | 1.07 | |
| Total votes | 3,581,989 | 100.00 | ||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | ||||
| County[9] | Ed Rendell Democratic | Mike Fisher Republican | Ken Krawchuk Libertarian | Michael Morrill Green | Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 7,732 | 31.99% | 15,950 | 65.98% | 199 | 0.82% | 292 | 1.21% | -8,218 | -33.99% | 24,173 |
| Allegheny | 209,708 | 53.66% | 169,414 | 43.35% | 6,673 | 1.71% | 4,991 | 1.28% | 40,294 | 8.31% | 390,786 |
| Armstrong | 7,965 | 39.11% | 11,898 | 58.43% | 288 | 1.41% | 213 | 1.05% | -3,933 | -19.32% | 20,364 |
| Beaver | 27,322 | 52.05% | 23,744 | 45.23% | 791 | 1.51% | 636 | 1.21% | 3,578 | 6.82% | 52,493 |
| Bedford | 4,516 | 30.24% | 10,190 | 68.23% | 98 | 0.66% | 130 | 0.87% | -5,674 | -37.99% | 14,934 |
| Berks | 56,592 | 55.20% | 43,790 | 42.71% | 1,027 | 1.00% | 1,119 | 1.09% | 12,802 | 12.49% | 102,528 |
| Blair | 10,356 | 29.99% | 23,530 | 68.15% | 307 | 0.89% | 336 | 0.97% | -13,174 | -38.16% | 34,529 |
| Bradford | 4,947 | 30.83% | 10,815 | 67.40% | 130 | 0.81% | 155 | 0.97% | -5,868 | -36.57% | 16,047 |
| Bucks | 127,850 | 63.28% | 70,000 | 34.64% | 2,685 | 1.33% | 1,516 | 0.75% | 57,850 | 28.64% | 202,051 |
| Butler | 18,145 | 34.91% | 32,400 | 62.34% | 768 | 1.48% | 659 | 1.27% | -14,255 | -27.43% | 51,972 |
| Cambria | 20,305 | 43.39% | 25,556 | 54.61% | 480 | 1.03% | 455 | 0.97% | -5,251 | -11.22% | 46,796 |
| Cameron | 571 | 35.07% | 1,032 | 63.39% | 10 | 0.61% | 15 | 0.92% | -461 | -28.32% | 1,628 |
| Carbon | 8,598 | 54.79% | 6,600 | 42.05% | 288 | 1.84% | 208 | 1.33% | 1,998 | 12.74% | 15,692 |
| Centre | 14,557 | 41.71% | 19,027 | 54.52% | 397 | 1.14% | 918 | 2.63% | -4,470 | -12.81% | 34,899 |
| Chester | 81,996 | 57.41% | 58,669 | 41.08% | 1,159 | 0.81% | 990 | 0.69% | 23,327 | 16.33% | 142,814 |
| Clarion | 3,934 | 34.08% | 7,397 | 64.08% | 103 | 0.89% | 109 | 0.94% | -3,463 | -30.00% | 11,543 |
| Clearfield | 10,221 | 41.64% | 13,822 | 56.32% | 232 | 0.95% | 269 | 1.10% | -3,601 | -14.68% | 24,544 |
| Clinton | 4,341 | 47.79% | 4,434 | 48.81% | 115 | 1.27% | 194 | 2.14% | -93 | -1.02% | 9,084 |
| Columbia | 7,004 | 41.89% | 9,304 | 55.65% | 147 | 0.88% | 263 | 1.57% | -2,300 | -13.76% | 16,718 |
| Crawford | 9,155 | 35.74% | 15,551 | 60.71% | 498 | 1.94% | 411 | 1.60% | -6,396 | -24.97% | 25,615 |
| Cumberland | 24,237 | 36.31% | 40,966 | 61.37% | 761 | 1.14% | 788 | 1.18% | -16,729 | -25.06% | 66,752 |
| Dauphin | 33,537 | 42.05% | 44,231 | 55.45% | 1,016 | 1.27% | 980 | 1.23% | -10,694 | -13.40% | 79,764 |
| Delaware | 123,117 | 65.12% | 62,649 | 33.14% | 2,044 | 1.08% | 1,260 | 0.67% | 60,468 | 31.98% | 189,070 |
| Elk | 3,917 | 40.87% | 5,468 | 57.05% | 105 | 1.10% | 95 | 0.99% | -1,551 | -16.18% | 9,585 |
| Erie | 32,774 | 41.72% | 43,095 | 54.85% | 1,071 | 1.36% | 1,623 | 2.07% | -10,321 | -13.13% | 78,563 |
| Fayette | 19,082 | 56.56% | 13,878 | 41.14% | 497 | 1.47% | 279 | 0.83% | 5,204 | 15.42% | 33,736 |
| Forest | 613 | 33.76% | 1,170 | 64.43% | 14 | 0.77% | 19 | 1.05% | -557 | -30.67% | 1,816 |
| Franklin | 10,335 | 29.93% | 23,689 | 68.61% | 222 | 0.64% | 279 | 0.81% | -13,354 | -38.68% | 34,525 |
| Fulton | 1,138 | 29.47% | 2,681 | 69.42% | 33 | 0.85% | 10 | 0.26% | -1,543 | -39.95% | 3,862 |
| Greene | 5,013 | 53.02% | 4,209 | 44.52% | 89 | 0.94% | 144 | 1.52% | 804 | 8.50% | 9,455 |
| Huntingdon | 3,697 | 31.18% | 7,842 | 66.13% | 77 | 0.65% | 242 | 2.04% | -4,145 | -34.95% | 11,858 |
| Indiana | 9,897 | 41.26% | 13,462 | 56.12% | 203 | 0.85% | 424 | 1.77% | -3,565 | -14.86% | 23,986 |
| Jefferson | 3,879 | 30.02% | 8,745 | 67.67% | 150 | 1.16% | 149 | 1.15% | -4,866 | -37.65% | 12,923 |
| Juniata | 2,187 | 29.76% | 5,027 | 68.40% | 62 | 0.84% | 73 | 0.99% | -2,840 | -38.64% | 7,349 |
| Lackawanna | 40,206 | 58.22% | 26,099 | 37.79% | 1,888 | 2.73% | 868 | 1.26% | 14,107 | 20.43% | 69,061 |
| Lancaster | 40,791 | 32.23% | 83,607 | 66.07% | 871 | 0.69% | 1,280 | 1.01% | -42,816 | -33.84% | 126,549 |
| Lawrence | 14,628 | 52.01% | 13,010 | 46.25% | 244 | 0.87% | 245 | 0.87% | 1,618 | 5.76% | 28,127 |
| Lebanon | 12,712 | 35.17% | 22,659 | 62.69% | 452 | 1.25% | 323 | 0.89% | -9,947 | -27.52% | 36,146 |
| Lehigh | 48,150 | 56.72% | 34,738 | 40.92% | 1,074 | 1.27% | 934 | 1.10% | 13,412 | 15.80% | 84,896 |
| Luzerne | 45,641 | 52.61% | 38,760 | 44.68% | 891 | 1.03% | 1,454 | 1.68% | 6,881 | 7.93% | 86,746 |
| Lycoming | 9,937 | 31.47% | 20,751 | 65.72% | 357 | 1.13% | 532 | 1.68% | -10,814 | -34.25% | 31,577 |
| McKean | 3,215 | 32.76% | 6,373 | 64.94% | 131 | 1.33% | 94 | 0.96% | -3,158 | -32.18% | 9,813 |
| Mercer | 14,161 | 45.13% | 16,429 | 52.36% | 343 | 1.09% | 444 | 1.42% | -2,268 | -7.23% | 31,377 |
| Mifflin | 3,362 | 31.32% | 7,122 | 66.35% | 161 | 1.50% | 89 | 0.83% | -3,760 | -35.03% | 10,734 |
| Monroe | 14,570 | 47.34% | 15,258 | 49.57% | 447 | 1.45% | 503 | 1.63% | -688 | -2.23% | 30,778 |
| Montgomery | 175,157 | 67.16% | 81,835 | 31.38% | 2,121 | 0.81% | 1,690 | 0.65% | 93,322 | 35.78% | 260,803 |
| Montour | 1,847 | 38.00% | 2,873 | 59.10% | 57 | 1.17% | 84 | 1.73% | -1,026 | -21.10% | 4,861 |
| Northampton | 42,554 | 58.52% | 28,228 | 38.82% | 1,088 | 1.50% | 846 | 1.16% | 14,326 | 19.70% | 72,716 |
| Northumberland | 10,774 | 41.52% | 14,479 | 55.80% | 382 | 1.47% | 313 | 1.21% | -3,705 | -14.28% | 25,948 |
| Perry | 3,426 | 26.28% | 9,286 | 71.22% | 165 | 1.27% | 161 | 1.23% | -5,860 | -44.94% | 13,038 |
| Philadelphia | 339,697 | 84.08% | 59,223 | 14.66% | 1,976 | 0.49% | 3,129 | 0.77% | 280,474 | 69.42% | 404,025 |
| Pike | 4,049 | 37.46% | 6,482 | 59.97% | 124 | 1.15% | 154 | 1.42% | -2,433 | -22.51% | 10,809 |
| Potter | 1,357 | 27.67% | 3,471 | 70.76% | 38 | 0.77% | 39 | 0.80% | -2,114 | -43.09% | 4,905 |
| Schuylkill | 25,233 | 51.47% | 22,692 | 46.29% | 515 | 1.05% | 585 | 1.19% | 2,541 | 5.18% | 49,025 |
| Snyder | 2,599 | 27.59% | 6,623 | 70.32% | 67 | 0.71% | 130 | 1.38% | -4,024 | -42.73% | 9,419 |
| Somerset | 8,088 | 32.64% | 16,244 | 65.56% | 189 | 0.76% | 257 | 1.04% | -8,156 | -32.92% | 24,778 |
| Sullivan | 856 | 36.27% | 1,441 | 61.06% | 31 | 1.31% | 32 | 1.36% | -585 | -24.79% | 2,360 |
| Susquehanna | 4,244 | 33.35% | 8,175 | 64.25% | 104 | 0.82% | 201 | 1.58% | -3,931 | -30.90% | 12,724 |
| Tioga | 3,275 | 29.41% | 7,696 | 69.12% | 62 | 0.56% | 101 | 0.91% | -4,421 | -39.71% | 11,134 |
| Union | 3,153 | 33.27% | 6,058 | 63.93% | 74 | 0.78% | 191 | 2.02% | -2,905 | -30.66% | 9,476 |
| Venango | 5,551 | 36.54% | 9,188 | 60.48% | 238 | 1.57% | 214 | 1.41% | -3,637 | -23.94% | 15,191 |
| Warren | 4,823 | 40.45% | 6,823 | 57.22% | 125 | 1.05% | 153 | 1.28% | -2,000 | -16.77% | 11,924 |
| Washington | 30,368 | 50.67% | 28,368 | 47.33% | 642 | 1.07% | 560 | 0.93% | 2,000 | 3.34% | 59,938 |
| Wayne | 4,395 | 33.87% | 8,118 | 62.56% | 119 | 0.92% | 344 | 2.65% | -3,723 | -28.69% | 12,976 |
| Westmoreland | 48,992 | 44.77% | 58,018 | 53.01% | 1,447 | 1.32% | 980 | 0.90% | -9,026 | -8.24% | 109,437 |
| Wyoming | 2,938 | 35.31% | 5,152 | 61.92% | 70 | 0.84% | 161 | 1.93% | -2,214 | -26.61% | 8,321 |
| York | 33,248 | 33.27% | 63,894 | 63.94% | 1,691 | 1.69% | 1,088 | 1.09% | -30,646 | -30.67% | 99,921 |
| Totals | 1,913,235 | 53.41% | 1,589,408 | 44.37% | 40,923 | 1.14% | 38,423 | 1.07% | 323,827 | 9.04% | 3,581,989 |
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