November 6, 1990 (1990-11-06) 1994 → 67.63% 32.34% | 2,065,244 987,516 Start date November 6, 1990 | |
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Winner Robert P Casey | ||
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 Ms. Hafer by a margin of 35.29%, and carried 66 out of 67 Pennsylvania counties.
Contents
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 anti-abortion proponent.
Democratic
Republican
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.