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 County Results Hiester: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Findlay: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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The1820 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election occurred on October 10, 1820. Incumbent Democratic-Republican governorWilliam Findlay sought re-election but was defeated byU.S. RepresentativeJoseph Hiester. Findlay entered the race with significantly reduced popularity. He had been renounced in the press as an opponent of democracy due to his nomination during the 1817 campaign by a group of party insiders. He additionally faced allegations of corruption over the misappropriation of funds during his tenure asState Treasurer, although all charges were dismissed during impeachment proceedings before the State Legislature. For this campaign, Findlay was nominated at a popular convention of Democratic Republicans; Hiester was selected at a separate convention of Federalists and "Old School Democrats" (i.e. allies of former governorThomas McKean). The sour state of the economy was a key factor in the defeat of the incumbent, as Pennsylvania was reeling from the effects of thePanic of 1819.[1][2]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Federalist | Joseph Hiester | 68,242 | 50.53 | |
| Democratic-Republican | William Findlay (incumbent) | 66,766 | 49.44 | |
| N/A | Others | 46 | 0.03 | |
| Total votes | 135,054 | 100.00 | ||
