1934 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

The Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 1934 occurred on November 6, 1934. Incumbent Republican governor Gifford Pinchot was not a candidate for re-election. Democratic candidate George Howard Earle III defeated Republican candidate William A. Schnader to become Governor of Pennsylvania. This was the first Pennsylvania gubernatorial election won by the Democratic Party since 1890.

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1934

November 6, 1934 (1934-11-06)
 
Nominee George Earle William A. Schnader
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 1,476,377 1,410,138
Percentage 50.04% 47.80%

Results by county

Governor before election

Gifford Pinchot
Republican

Elected Governor

George Earle
Democratic

Election eve was marred by the Kelayres massacre, where the local small-town Republican boss and his family fired pistols, rifles and shotguns upon a Democratic rally and parade, killing three that night, and leaving at least a dozen more seriously wounded. News of the attack was front-page headlines across the nation. In Pennsylvania, the attack was strongly politicized in Democratic newspapers and on the radio. There were numerous reports of Republicans voting Democratic due to the attack. Schnader, as incumbent Attorney General, was forced to comment on the attack in strong terms, and to the end of his life, believed the attack cost him the election.[1]

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1934[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic George Howard Earle III 1,476,377 50.04
Republican William A. Schnader 1,410,138 47.80
Socialist Jesse H. Holmes 42,357 1.44
Prohibition Herbert T. Ames 13,521 0.46
Communist Emmett Patrick Cush 5,584 0.19
Industrial Labor Bess Gyekis 2,272 0.08
N/A Others 47 0.00
Totals 2,950,249 100.00%

References

  1. Bronner, Edwin B. (January 1960). "The New Deal Comes to Pennsylvania: The Gubernatorial Election of 1934". Pennsylvania History. XXVII (1): 44–68. JSTOR 27769931.
  2. "Pennsylvania Gubernatorial Election Returns 1934". Wilkes University. Retrieved 20 December 2012.
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