1996 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
November 5, 1996
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| Turnout | 66.1% [1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in Pennsylvania |
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| Government |
The 1996 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 5, 1996, as part of the 1996 United States presidential election. Voters chose 23 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College, who voted for president and vice president.
Pennsylvania was won by President Bill Clinton by a margin of 9.2%.[2] Billionaire businessman Ross Perot (Reform Party of the United States of America-TX) finished in third, with 9.56% of the popular vote in Pennsylvania.[2]
In Pennsylvania, Clinton received 49.2% of the vote, the same percentage as the national vote when rounded to the nearest tenth. Pennsylvania was also the tipping-point state in this election. As of the 2024 presidential election, this is the last election in which the following counties voted for a Democratic presidential candidate: Warren, Clinton, Westmoreland, Schuylkill, Armstrong, Columbia, Forest, and Indiana.[3] It was also the last election until 2008 in which Pennsylvania was the most Republican of the three Rust Belt swing states (including Wisconsin and Michigan).
Primaries
Democratic primary
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Bill Clinton (incumbent) | 666,486 | 92.05% |
| Lyndon LaRouche | 57,583 | 7.95% |
| Totals | 724,069 | Turnout: 23.00% |
Republican primary
| Candidate | Votes | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| Bob Dole | 435,031 | 63.59% |
| Pat Buchanan | 123,011 | 17.98% |
| Steve Forbes | 55,028 | 8.04% |
| Other | 71,043 | 10.38% |
| Totals | 684,113 | Turnout: 21.64% |
Results
| 1996 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania[2] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Candidate | Running mate | Votes | Percentage | Electoral votes | |
| Democratic | Bill Clinton (incumbent) | Al Gore (incumbent) | 2,215,819 | 49.17% | 23 | |
| Republican | Bob Dole | Jack Kemp | 1,801,169 | 39.97% | 0 | |
| Reform | Ross Perot | Patrick Choate | 430,984 | 9.56% | 0 | |
| Libertarian | Harry Browne | Jo Jorgensen | 28,000 | 0.62% | 0 | |
| Constitution | Howard Phillips | Herbert Titus | 19,552 | 0.43% | 0 | |
| Natural Law | Dr. John Hagelin | Mike Tompkins | 5,783 | 0.13% | 0 | |
| Totals | 4,495,524 | 100.00% | 23 | |||
Results by county
| County | Bill Clinton Democratic |
Bob Dole Republican |
Ross Perot Reform |
Various candidates Other parties |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Adams | 10,774 | 36.51% | 15,338 | 51.98% | 3,186 | 10.80% | 210 | 0.71% | -4,564 | -15.47% | 29,508 |
| Allegheny | 284,480 | 52.82% | 204,067 | 37.89% | 42,309 | 7.86% | 7,759 | 1.44% | 80,413 | 14.93% | 538,615 |
| Armstrong | 11,130 | 43.17% | 11,052 | 42.87% | 3,452 | 13.39% | 145 | 0.56% | 78 | 0.30% | 25,779 |
| Beaver | 39,578 | 53.28% | 26,048 | 35.07% | 8,276 | 11.14% | 377 | 0.51% | 13,530 | 18.21% | 74,279 |
| Bedford | 5,954 | 32.85% | 10,064 | 55.52% | 2,041 | 11.26% | 68 | 0.38% | -4,110 | -22.67% | 18,127 |
| Berks | 49,887 | 40.99% | 56,289 | 46.25% | 13,788 | 11.33% | 1,754 | 1.44% | -6,402 | -5.26% | 121,718 |
| Blair | 15,036 | 36.95% | 21,282 | 52.30% | 4,014 | 9.86% | 359 | 0.88% | -6,246 | -15.35% | 40,691 |
| Bradford | 7,736 | 36.82% | 10,393 | 49.47% | 2,712 | 12.91% | 167 | 0.79% | -2,657 | -12.65% | 21,008 |
| Bucks | 103,313 | 45.44% | 94,899 | 41.74% | 24,544 | 10.80% | 4,607 | 2.03% | 8,414 | 3.70% | 227,363 |
| Butler | 21,990 | 36.29% | 32,038 | 52.88% | 6,145 | 10.14% | 418 | 0.69% | -10,048 | -16.59% | 60,591 |
| Cambria | 30,391 | 51.27% | 20,341 | 34.32% | 7,837 | 13.22% | 706 | 1.19% | 10,050 | 16.95% | 59,275 |
| Cameron | 822 | 36.84% | 1,113 | 49.89% | 283 | 12.68% | 13 | 0.58% | -291 | -13.05% | 2,231 |
| Carbon | 9,457 | 47.69% | 7,193 | 36.28% | 2,992 | 15.09% | 187 | 0.94% | 2,264 | 11.41% | 19,829 |
| Centre | 21,145 | 45.16% | 20,935 | 44.71% | 4,173 | 8.91% | 573 | 1.22% | 210 | 0.45% | 46,826 |
| Chester | 64,783 | 40.91% | 77,029 | 48.64% | 14,067 | 8.88% | 2,487 | 1.57% | -12,246 | -7.73% | 158,366 |
| Clarion | 5,954 | 39.51% | 6,916 | 45.89% | 2,064 | 13.70% | 137 | 0.91% | -962 | -6.38% | 15,071 |
| Clearfield | 11,991 | 41.41% | 12,987 | 44.85% | 3,758 | 12.98% | 219 | 0.76% | -996 | -3.44% | 28,955 |
| Clinton | 5,658 | 49.27% | 4,293 | 37.39% | 1,424 | 12.40% | 108 | 0.94% | 1,365 | 11.88% | 11,483 |
| Columbia | 8,379 | 41.13% | 8,234 | 40.42% | 3,654 | 17.94% | 105 | 0.52% | 145 | 0.71% | 20,372 |
| Crawford | 12,943 | 41.16% | 14,659 | 46.62% | 3,519 | 11.19% | 325 | 1.03% | -1,716 | -5.46% | 31,446 |
| Cumberland | 28,749 | 36.40% | 43,943 | 55.63% | 5,669 | 7.18% | 624 | 0.79% | -15,194 | -19.23% | 78,985 |
| Dauphin | 40,936 | 44.03% | 44,417 | 47.78% | 6,967 | 7.49% | 651 | 0.70% | -3,481 | -3.75% | 92,971 |
| Delaware | 115,946 | 49.39% | 92,628 | 39.46% | 21,883 | 9.32% | 4,291 | 1.83% | 23,318 | 9.93% | 234,748 |
| Elk | 5,749 | 44.18% | 4,889 | 37.57% | 2,293 | 17.62% | 82 | 0.63% | 860 | 6.61% | 13,013 |
| Erie | 57,508 | 52.86% | 39,884 | 36.66% | 10,386 | 9.55% | 1,013 | 0.93% | 17,624 | 16.20% | 108,791 |
| Fayette | 26,359 | 56.65% | 14,019 | 30.13% | 5,722 | 12.30% | 432 | 0.93% | 12,340 | 26.52% | 46,532 |
| Forest | 964 | 43.80% | 902 | 40.98% | 325 | 14.77% | 10 | 0.45% | 62 | 2.82% | 2,201 |
| Franklin | 14,980 | 33.49% | 25,392 | 56.77% | 4,127 | 9.23% | 231 | 0.52% | -10,412 | -23.28% | 44,730 |
| Fulton | 1,620 | 33.28% | 2,665 | 54.75% | 554 | 11.38% | 29 | 0.60% | -1,045 | -21.47% | 4,868 |
| Greene | 7,620 | 55.47% | 4,002 | 29.14% | 2,052 | 14.94% | 62 | 0.45% | 3,618 | 26.33% | 13,736 |
| Huntingdon | 5,285 | 36.46% | 7,324 | 50.53% | 1,813 | 12.51% | 73 | 0.50% | -2,039 | -14.07% | 14,495 |
| Indiana | 13,868 | 45.35% | 12,874 | 42.10% | 3,674 | 12.01% | 167 | 0.55% | 994 | 3.25% | 30,583 |
| Jefferson | 5,846 | 35.52% | 8,156 | 49.56% | 2,322 | 14.11% | 133 | 0.81% | -2,310 | -14.04% | 16,457 |
| Juniata | 2,896 | 36.27% | 4,128 | 51.70% | 911 | 11.41% | 49 | 0.61% | -1,232 | -15.43% | 7,984 |
| Lackawanna | 46,377 | 56.09% | 26,930 | 32.57% | 8,189 | 9.90% | 1,185 | 1.43% | 19,447 | 23.52% | 82,681 |
| Lancaster | 49,120 | 31.63% | 92,875 | 59.81% | 11,601 | 7.47% | 1,690 | 1.09% | -43,755 | -28.18% | 155,286 |
| Lawrence | 18,993 | 52.38% | 13,088 | 36.10% | 4,002 | 11.04% | 176 | 0.49% | 5,905 | 16.28% | 36,259 |
| Lebanon | 14,187 | 34.83% | 21,885 | 53.73% | 4,235 | 10.40% | 428 | 1.05% | -7,698 | -18.90% | 40,735 |
| Lehigh | 48,568 | 45.77% | 45,103 | 42.51% | 10,947 | 10.32% | 1,492 | 1.41% | 3,465 | 3.26% | 106,110 |
| Luzerne | 60,174 | 51.51% | 43,577 | 37.30% | 12,424 | 10.64% | 642 | 0.55% | 16,597 | 14.21% | 116,817 |
| Lycoming | 13,516 | 34.44% | 21,535 | 54.88% | 3,855 | 9.82% | 335 | 0.85% | -8,019 | -20.44% | 39,241 |
| McKean | 5,509 | 37.05% | 6,838 | 45.99% | 2,350 | 15.80% | 172 | 1.16% | -1,329 | -8.94% | 14,869 |
| Mercer | 23,003 | 50.25% | 17,213 | 37.60% | 5,108 | 11.16% | 455 | 0.99% | 5,790 | 12.65% | 45,779 |
| Mifflin | 5,327 | 38.83% | 6,888 | 50.21% | 1,392 | 10.15% | 111 | 0.81% | -1,561 | -11.38% | 13,718 |
| Monroe | 16,547 | 42.36% | 17,326 | 44.35% | 4,650 | 11.90% | 542 | 1.39% | -779 | -1.99% | 39,065 |
| Montgomery | 143,664 | 48.87% | 121,047 | 41.18% | 24,392 | 8.30% | 4,858 | 1.65% | 22,617 | 7.69% | 293,961 |
| Montour | 2,183 | 37.57% | 2,785 | 47.93% | 784 | 13.49% | 59 | 1.02% | -602 | -10.36% | 5,811 |
| Northampton | 43,959 | 48.31% | 35,726 | 39.26% | 9,848 | 10.82% | 1,469 | 1.61% | 8,233 | 9.05% | 91,002 |
| Northumberland | 13,418 | 41.41% | 13,551 | 41.82% | 5,173 | 15.97% | 258 | 0.80% | -133 | -0.41% | 32,400 |
| Perry | 4,611 | 31.77% | 8,156 | 56.19% | 1,609 | 11.09% | 139 | 0.96% | -3,545 | -24.42% | 14,515 |
| Philadelphia | 412,988 | 77.44% | 85,345 | 16.00% | 29,329 | 5.50% | 5,615 | 1.05% | 327,643 | 61.44% | 533,277 |
| Pike | 5,509 | 38.68% | 6,697 | 47.02% | 1,873 | 13.15% | 165 | 1.16% | -1,188 | -8.34% | 14,244 |
| Potter | 2,146 | 31.48% | 3,714 | 54.48% | 925 | 13.57% | 32 | 0.47% | -1,568 | -23.00% | 6,817 |
| Schuylkill | 24,860 | 43.90% | 22,920 | 40.47% | 8,471 | 14.96% | 378 | 0.67% | 1,940 | 3.43% | 56,629 |
| Snyder | 3,405 | 29.25% | 6,742 | 57.91% | 1,451 | 12.46% | 44 | 0.38% | -3,337 | -28.66% | 11,642 |
| Somerset | 12,719 | 40.26% | 14,735 | 46.64% | 3,968 | 12.56% | 169 | 0.53% | -2,016 | -6.38% | 31,591 |
| Sullivan | 1,071 | 37.47% | 1,352 | 47.31% | 418 | 14.63% | 17 | 0.59% | -281 | -9.84% | 2,858 |
| Susquehanna | 5,912 | 37.81% | 7,354 | 47.03% | 2,266 | 14.49% | 104 | 0.67% | -1,442 | -9.22% | 15,636 |
| Tioga | 4,961 | 34.39% | 7,382 | 51.18% | 1,993 | 13.82% | 89 | 0.62% | -2,421 | -16.79% | 14,425 |
| Union | 3,658 | 31.20% | 6,570 | 56.04% | 1,431 | 12.21% | 65 | 0.55% | -2,912 | -24.84% | 11,724 |
| Venango | 8,205 | 41.97% | 8,398 | 42.96% | 2,777 | 14.21% | 169 | 0.86% | -193 | -0.99% | 19,549 |
| Warren | 7,291 | 42.72% | 7,056 | 41.34% | 2,504 | 14.67% | 216 | 1.27% | 235 | 1.38% | 17,067 |
| Washington | 40,952 | 52.67% | 27,777 | 35.73% | 8,661 | 11.14% | 355 | 0.46% | 13,175 | 16.94% | 77,745 |
| Wayne | 5,928 | 36.29% | 8,077 | 49.45% | 2,126 | 13.02% | 203 | 1.24% | -2,149 | -13.16% | 16,334 |
| Westmoreland | 63,686 | 44.43% | 62,058 | 43.30% | 16,230 | 11.32% | 1,355 | 0.95% | 1,628 | 1.13% | 143,329 |
| Wyoming | 4,049 | 38.90% | 4,888 | 46.96% | 1,414 | 13.59% | 57 | 0.55% | -839 | -8.06% | 10,408 |
| York | 49,596 | 38.70% | 65,188 | 50.87% | 11,652 | 9.09% | 1,720 | 1.34% | -15,592 | -12.17% | 128,156 |
| Totals | 2,215,819 | 49.17% | 1,801,169 | 39.97% | 430,984 | 9.56% | 58,146 | 1.29% | 414,650 | 9.20% | 4,506,118 |
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
By congressional district
Clinton won 15 of 21 districts, including five held by Republicans, while the other six were won by Dole, including one held by a Democrat.[4]
| District | Clinton | Dole | Perot | Representative |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 84% | 12% | 4% | Thomas M. Foglietta |
| 2nd | 87% | 10% | 3% | Chaka Fattah |
| 3rd | 61% | 28% | 10% | Robert Borski |
| 4th | 49% | 41% | 10% | Ron Klink |
| 5th | 41% | 46% | 13% | William Clinger |
| John E. Peterson | ||||
| 6th | 42% | 45% | 13% | Tim Holden |
| 7th | 45% | 44% | 9% | Curt Weldon |
| 8th | 45% | 42% | 11% | Jim Greenwood |
| 9th | 36% | 53% | 11% | Bud Shuster |
| 10th | 45% | 43% | 12% | Joseph M. McDade |
| 11th | 49% | 39% | 13% | Paul Kanjorski |
| 12th | 47% | 41% | 13% | John Murtha |
| 13th | 49% | 42% | 8% | Jon D. Fox |
| 14th | 59% | 33% | 7% | William J. Coyne |
| 15th | 47% | 41% | 11% | Paul McHale |
| 16th | 38% | 54% | 9% | Bob Walker |
| Joe Pitts | ||||
| 17th | 38% | 54% | 8% | George Gekas |
| 18th | 52% | 39% | 9% | Mike Doyle |
| 19th | 38% | 53% | 9% | Bill Goodling |
| 20th | 50% | 39% | 11% | Frank Mascara |
| 21st | 49% | 41% | 10% | Phil English |
See also
References
- ^ "Voter Registration Statistics". Pennsylvania Department of State. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^ a b c David Leip. "1996 Presidential General Election Results – Pennsylvania". Dave Leip’s U.S. Election Atlas. Retrieved March 22, 2018.
- ^ Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century’; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016
- ^ "1996 United States Presidential Election, Results by Congressional District". November 5, 1996. Retrieved May 22, 2025.