United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022

Elections in Pennsylvania, 2022

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2024 → ← 2018
U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania
Democratic primary Republican primary General election
Election details
Filing deadline: March 15, 2022
Primary: May 17, 2022 General: November 8, 2022
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Voting in Pennsylvania
Race ratings
Cook Political Report: Toss-up Inside Elections: Toss-up Sabato's Crystal Ball: Lean Republican
Ballotpedia analysis
U.S. Senate battlegrounds U.S. House battlegrounds Federal and state primary competitiveness Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2022
See also
U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania U.S. Senate • 1st • 2nd • 3rd • 4th • 5th • 6th • 7th • 8th • 9th • 10th • 11th • 12th • 13th • 14th • 15th • 16th • 17th Pennsylvania elections, 2022 U.S. Congress elections, 2022 U.S. Senate elections, 2022 U.S. House elections, 2022 Alabama U.S. Senate raceAlaska U.S. Senate raceArizona U.S. Senate raceArkansas U.S. Senate raceCalifornia U.S. Senate raceColorado U.S. Senate raceConnecticut U.S. Senate raceFlorida U.S. Senate raceGeorgia U.S. Senate raceHawaii U.S. Senate raceIdaho U.S. Senate raceIllinois U.S. Senate raceIndiana U.S. Senate raceIowa U.S. Senate raceKansas U.S. Senate raceKentucky U.S. Senate raceLouisiana U.S. Senate raceMaryland U.S. Senate raceMissouri U.S. Senate raceNevada U.S. Senate raceNew Hampshire U.S. Senate raceNew York U.S. Senate raceNorth Carolina U.S. Senate raceNorth Dakota U.S. Senate raceOhio U.S. Senate raceOklahoma U.S. Senate raceOregon U.S. Senate racePennsylvania U.S. Senate raceSouth Carolina U.S. Senate raceSouth Dakota U.S. Senate raceUtah U.S. Senate raceVermont U.S. Senate raceWashington U.S. Senate raceWisconsin U.S. Senate raceSubmit

John Fetterman (D) defeated Mehmet Oz (R) and six other candidates in Pennsylvania’s U.S. Senate election on November 8, 2022. Incumbent Senator Pat Toomey (R) did not seek re-election.

Fetterman served as Pennsylvania’s lieutenant governor. In 2018, he was elected 58% to 41% on a joint ticket with incumbent Governor Tom Wolf (D). In a campaign ad, Fetterman said, "Our economy is a mess because of Washington, [and] the rich, powerful, the insiders, and the lobbyists. [...] We must make more stuff in America, cut taxes for working families, [and] Congress shouldn't play in the stock market." To read more about Fetterman's key messages, click here.

This race was Oz’s first run for political office. Oz was a retired surgeon and hosted The Dr. Oz Show on daytime television from 2009 to 2022. In a campaign ad, Oz said, "We're facing rising crime, crushing inflation, lives unraveling. [...] I'll heal us, and bring change to our divided nation. Doctors fix big things. I fixed hearts and fought for every last one of them." To read more about Oz's key messages, click here.

CBS News' Sarah Ewall-Wice wrote, "The Senate race in Pennsylvania is a crucial battleground for both parties fighting over who will control the Senate after the November elections. Democrats see it as a possible pickup, with GOP Senator Pat Toomey retiring." Roll Call's Niels Lesniewski wrote, "Keeping the seat in Republican hands is an important part of the party's effort to flip control of the 50-50 Senate."

The Philadelphia Inquirer's Julia Terruso wrote about the candidates' campaigns, saying, "Fetterman’s campaign holds large, energetic rallies, [while] Oz stages smaller community-based events." Terruso also wrote, "Both candidates have slammed the other’s events as evidence of the other’s weaknesses. Fetterman’s campaign tweets out crowd photos, claiming Oz can’t fill big rooms. Oz’s campaign points to Fetterman’s 10-minute speeches and refusal to take reporter or audience questions afterward in an attempt to cast doubt on Fetterman’s health." Fetterman had a stroke on May 15, 2022.

In Pennsylvania's 2018 senate race, incumbent Bob Casey Jr. (D) defeated Lou Barletta (R) 56% to 43%. In 2016, Toomey won re-election against Katie McGinty (D) 49% to 47%. The 2016 and 2020 presidential elections in Pennsylvania were decided by less than 2 percentage points. Pennsylvania was one of two states in 2022, along with Wisconsin, where Republicans defended a seat in a state that Joe Biden (D) won in 2020.

Minor party, independent, and write-in candidates included Ronald Johnson (Constitution Party), Richard Weiss (G), Daniel Wassmer (Keystone Party of Pennsylvania), Erik Gerhardt (L), and Quincy Magee (Independent). Everett Stern (Independent) withdrew from the race on October 25 and endorsed Fetterman.

The outcome of this race affected the partisan balance of the U.S. Senate in 2022. Democrats retained their majority and gained one net seat, with the Senate's post-election partisan balance at 51 Democrats and 49 Republicans.

Thirty-five of 100 seats were up for election, including one special election. At the time of the election, Democrats had an effective majority, with the chamber split 50-50 and Vice President Kamala Harris (D) having the tie-breaking vote. Of the seats up for election in 2022, Democrats held 14 and Republicans held 21.

Richard Weiss (G) and Ronald Johnson (Constitution Party) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. To read those survey responses, click here.

John Fetterman (D) completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2018. Click here to read his responses.

For more information about the primaries in this election, click on the links below:

• United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)
• United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022 (May 17 Republican primary)

Election news

This section includes a timeline of events leading up to the election.

• Election news (July-November 2022)
  • November 7, 2022: Research Co. released a poll showing Fetterman at 49%, Oz at 48%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.6.

  • November 4, 2022:
    • Marist College released a poll showing Fetterman at 50%, Oz at 44%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.8.
    • InsiderAdvantage conducted a poll on behalf of WTXF-TV showing Fetterman at 46%, Oz at 48%, and 3% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.6.

  • November 3, 2022:
    • Emerson College conducted a poll on behalf of WHTM-TV (Harrisburg, Pa.) and The Hill showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 48%, and 4% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
    • The Trafalgar Group released a poll showing Fetterman at 46%, Oz at 48%, and 3% undecided. The margin of error was ± 2.9.
  • November 2, 2022:
    • Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research conducted a poll on behalf of Fox News showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 42%, and 8% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
    • Suffolk University conducted a poll on behalf of USA Today showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 45%, and 7% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.4.
    • Susquehanna Polling & Research released a poll showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 48%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.7.
    • Remington Research Group released a poll showing Fetterman at 44%, Oz at 47%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 2.8.
  • November 1, 2022:
    • The Philadelphia Tribune endorsed Fetterman.
    • Muhlenberg College conducted a poll on behalf of The Morning Call showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 47%, and 2% undecided. The margin of error was ± 6.0.
  • October 31, 2022: The New York Times/Siena College released a poll showing Fetterman at 49%, Oz at 44%, and 6% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.4.

  • October 30, 2022: The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette endorsed Oz.
  • October 29, 2022: PennLive endorsed Fetterman.
  • October 28, 2022:
    • Wick Insights released a poll showing Fetterman at 46%, Oz at 48%, and 3% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.2.
    • Co/efficient released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 48%, and 2% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.4.
    • Vice President Kamala Harris (D) endorsed Fetterman.

  • October 27, 2022:
    • InsiderAdvantage released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 48%, and 4% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.6.
    • Franklin & Marshall released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 40%, and 11% undecided. The margin of error was ± 5.3.

  • October 25, 2022:
    • Fetterman and Oz participated in a debate hosted by WHTM - ABC27 News.
    • Everett Stern withdrew from the race and endorsed Fetterman.
    • YouGov conducted a poll on behalf of CBS News showing Fetterman at 51% and Oz at 49%. The margin of error was ± 4.4.
  • October 24, 2022: Rasmussen Reports/Pulse Opinion Research released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 43%, and 6% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.

  • October 21, 2022: Former President Barack Obama (D) endorsed Fetterman.
  • October 20, 2022: InsiderAdvantage conducted a poll on behalf of WTXF-TV showing Fetterman at 46%, Oz at 46%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.2.

  • October 19, 2022: Wick Insights released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 49%, and 3% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.1.

  • October 16, 2022: The Philadelphia Inquirer endorsed Fetterman.
  • October 13, 2022: The Trafalgar Group conducted a poll on behalf of The Daily Wire showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 45%, and 4% undecided. The margin of error was ± 2.9.
  • October 12, 2022: NBC News reported that American Crossroads PAC was spending $4.1 million on ads supporting Oz.
  • October 11, 2022: CNN reported that Senate Majority PAC planned to spend $33 million in the race. The PAC spent a portion of that on ads opposing Oz.
  • October 6, 2022: Bloomberg reported that Make America Great Again Inc., a political action committee led by former President Donald Trump (R), would spend $770,000 on ads supporting Oz.

  • October 4, 2022:
    • Suffolk University conducted a poll on behalf of USA Today showing Fetterman at 46%, Oz at 40%, and 10% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.4.
    • The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from Lean Democratic to Toss-up.
    • The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Everytown for Gun Safety planned to spend $2.1 million on ads opposing Oz.
  • September 29, 2022:
    • Franklin & Marshall released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 42%, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 5.6.
    • Emerson College released a poll showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 43%, and 8% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
  • September 28, 2022: Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research conducted a poll on behalf of Fox News showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 41%, and 7% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
  • September 27, 2022: Marist College released a poll showing Fetterman at 51%, Oz at 41%, and 7% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.2.
  • September 26, 2022:
    • Phillips Academy conducted a poll on behalf of the Abbot Academy Fund showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 45%, and 9% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.6.
    • InsiderAdvantage conducted a poll on behalf of WTXF-TV showing Fetterman at 45%, Oz at 42%, and 8% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.5.
  • September 21, 2022: Muhlenberg College conducted a poll on behalf of The Morning Call showing Fetterman at 49%, Oz at 44%, 5% supporting another candidate or neither candidate, and 2% undecided. The margin of error was ± 6.0.
  • September 16, 2022: The Trafalgar Group released a poll showing Fetterman at 48%, Oz at 46%, 5% supporting another candidate, and 2% undecided. The margin of error was ± 2.9.
  • September 14, 2022: YouGov conducted a poll on behalf of CBS News showing Fetterman at 52%, Oz at 47%, and 1% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.8.
  • September 13, 2022: Echelon Insights conducted a poll on behalf of NetChoice showing Fetterman at 57%, Oz at 36%, and 7% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.5.
  • September 7, 2022: RABA Research released a poll showing Fetterman at 49%, Oz at 40%, 3% supporting another candidate, and 8% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.8.
  • September 1, 2022: American Leadership Action spent $500,000 on ads opposing Fetterman.
  • August 31, 2022: Sabato's Crystal Ball changed its rating of the race from Toss-up to Leans Democratic.
  • August 30, 2022: Susquehanna Polling and Research released a poll showing Fetterman at 49%, Oz at 44%, 2% supporting another candidate, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.7.
  • August 25, 2022:
    • Inside Elections changed its rating of the race from Tilt Republican to Toss-up.
    • Franklin & Marshall College released a poll showing Fetterman at 43%, Oz at 30%, 7% supporting another candidate, and 20% undecided. The margin of error was ± 5.3.
    • Emerson College released a poll showing Fetterman at 48%, Oz at 44%, 3% supporting another candidate, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
  • August 21, 2022: Trafalgar Group released a poll showing Fetterman at 48%, Oz at 44%, Gerhardt at 2%, 2% supporting another candidate, and 5% undecided. The margin of error was ± 2.9.

  • August 18, 2022: The Cook Political Report changed its rating of the race from Toss-up to Lean Democratic.

  • August 17, 2022: Public Opinion Strategies released a poll sponsored by Pittsburgh Works showing Fetterman at 51%, Oz at 33%, and 15% undecided. The margin of error was ± 4.0.

  • July 28, 2022:
    • Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research conducted a poll for Fox News showing Fetterman at 47%, Oz at 36%, Stern at 3%, and 13% undecided. The margin of error was ± 3.0.
    • PEM Management Research conducted a poll for the John Bolton Super PAC showing Fetterman at 44% and Oz at 38%. The margin of error was ± 2.8.

  • July 26, 2022:
    • Incumbent Senator Pat Toomey (R) endorsed Oz.
    • Blueprint Polling conducted a poll showing Fetterman at 49% and Oz at 40%. The margin of error was ± 3.7.

Candidates and election results

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

The following candidates ran in the general election for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on November 8, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Fetterman (D)	51.2	2,751,012
		Mehmet Oz (R)	46.3	2,487,260
		Erik Chase Gerhardt (L)	1.4	72,887
		Richard Weiss (G)	0.6	30,434
		Daniel Wassmer (Keystone Party of Pennsylvania)	0.5	26,428
		Quincy Magee (Independent) (Write-in)	0.0	0
		Ronald Johnson (Constitution Party) (Write-in)	0.0	0

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,368,021
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Everett Stern (Independent)

Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

John Fetterman defeated Conor Lamb, Malcolm Kenyatta, and Alexandria Khalil in the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		John Fetterman	58.6	753,557
		Conor Lamb	26.3	337,498
		Malcolm Kenyatta	10.8	139,393
		Alexandria Khalil	4.2	54,460

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,284,908
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Walter Sluzynsky (D)
• John McGuigan (D)
• Kyle Norton (D)
• Alan Shank (D)
• Larry Johnson (D)
• Kevin Baumlin (D)
• Sharif Street (D)
• Valerie Arkoosh (D)
• Lew Tapera (D)
• Eric Orts (D)
• Kael Dougherty (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

The following candidates ran in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on May 17, 2022.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Mehmet Oz	31.2	420,168
		David McCormick	31.1	419,218
		Kathy Barnette	24.7	331,903
		Carla Sands	5.4	73,360
		Jeff Bartos	5.0	66,684
		Sean Gale	1.5	20,266
		George Bochetto	1.1	14,492

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,346,091
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• John Debellis (R)
• Max Richardson (R)
• John Eichenberg (R)
• Vince Fusca (R)
• Martin Rosenfeld (R)
• Bobby Jeffries (R)
• Richard Mulholland (R)
• Sean Parnell (R)
• Ronald Johnson (R)
• Craig Snyder (R)
• David Xu (R)

Voting information

See also: Voting in Pennsylvania

Election information in Pennsylvania: Nov. 8, 2022, election.

What was the voter registration deadline?

• In-person: Oct. 24, 2022
• By mail: Received by Oct. 24, 2022
• Online: Oct. 24, 2022

Was absentee/mail-in voting available to all voters?

N/A

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot request deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 1, 2022
• By mail: Received by Nov. 1, 2022
• Online: Nov. 1, 2022

What was the absentee/mail-in ballot return deadline?

• In-person: Nov. 8, 2022
• By mail: Received by Nov. 8, 2022

Was early voting available to all voters?

Yes

What were the early voting start and end dates?

Varies to Nov. 1, 2022

Were all voters required to present ID at the polls? If so, was a photo or non-photo ID required?

N/A

When were polls open on Election Day?

N/A

Candidate comparison

Candidate profiles

This section includes candidate profiles that may be created in one of two ways: either the candidate completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey, or Ballotpedia staff may compile a profile based on campaign websites, advertisements, and public statements after identifying the candidate as noteworthy. For more on how we select candidates to include, click here.

John Fetterman

Party: Democratic Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: 

• Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania (Assumed office: 2019)
  
• Mayor of Braddock, PA (2005-2019)

Biography:  Fetterman received a bachelor’s degree from Albright College and a master's degree in public policy from Harvard University. He worked for AmeriCorps in Pittsburgh and Braddock.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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Fetterman supported eliminating the filibuster in support of abortion rights and LGBTQIA+ rights. He said, “Women’s reproductive freedom [and] marriage equality must be codified into federal law. I would proudly be that 51st vote to make it happen.”

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Fetterman supported legalizing marijuana, saying, "Weed should be legal, nationwide — for jobs, justice, veterans, farmers, and revenue. It’s time to end the failed war on drugs."

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Fetterman said he would work to increase jobs and support American manufacturing, unions, and raise the minimum wage to $15 an hour.

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Fetterman said Oz was out of touch with the needs of Pennsylvanians. On Twitter, Fetterman said, “He came over from his New Jersey mansion to OUR state” and “Someone who doesn’t even know how many homes they own can NOT be trusted to fight for actual Pennsylvanians.”

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Show sources

Sources: CNN, "The filibuster fight is over in the Senate. But not on the Democratic campaign trail," February 20, 2022; John Fetterman campaign website, "Issues," accessed April 15, 2022; Politico, "D.C. Dems get out of frontrunner Fetterman's way in Pennsylvania," April 6, 2022; Twitter, "John Fetterman on August 4, 2022," accessed August 4, 2022; YouTube, "Braddock to Washington, D.C.," June 7, 2022; Twitter, "John Fetterman on August 17, 2022," accessed August 22, 2022; Twitter, "John Fetterman on June 8, 2022," accessed August 22, 2022; John Fetterman campaign website, "Meet the Fettermans - John's Story," accessed April 15, 2022;

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania in 2022.

Mehmet Oz

Party: Republican Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Biography:  Oz received a bachelor's degree from Harvard University and a joint M.D. and M.B.A. from the University of Pennsylvania. He had worked as a physician, host of The Dr. Oz Show, and author.

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Key Messages

The following key messages were curated by Ballotpedia staff. For more on how we identify key messages, click here.

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In a campaign ad, Oz likened himself to former Presidents Ronald Reagan (R) and Donald Trump (R). He said, "You know who else learned in Hollywood? The two greatest presidents in modern history. Like me, they were conservative outsiders who fought the establishment."

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Oz said public safety was a priority of his campaign, saying he opposed early release programs and supported funding law enforcement.

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Oz criticized the Biden administration's economic policies and said they had led to inflation and supply chain disruptions. Oz said he would "fully confront China and support energy independence."

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Oz said Fetterman was, “the most radical candidate we have ever put forth for senator here in Pennsylvania.” He also criticized Fetterman’s absence from the campaign trail, saying “Pennsylvanians deserve debates and a senator who is willing to show up.”

---

Show sources

Sources: YouTube, "Fight the Establishment," accessed March 11, 2022; Mehmet Oz's 2022 campaign website, "Grow our economy," accessed April 7, 2022; YouTube, "Dr. Oz Welcomes John Fetterman to Campaign Trail," July 14, 2022; Twitter, "Mehmet Oz on August 2, 2022," accessed August 4, 2022; Twitter, "Mehmet Oz on August 15, 2022," accessed August 22, 2022; Twitter, "Mehmet Oz on August 16, 2022," accessed August 22, 2022; Mehmet Oz's 2022 campaign website, "Meet Dr. Oz," accessed April 7, 2022

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania in 2022.

Richard Weiss

Party: Green Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "I am born and raised in Pennsylvania. My parents owned Weiss Bakery in the Brentwood boro of Pittsburgh. My first law job was as an attorney for the federal government in the General Counsel's Office of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Washington, D.C. Since then my career has been divided between Jakarta, Indonesia, where I worked on foreign investment and project finance, and Pittsburgh where I work on litigation support on a project basis."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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The latest UN report on climate change underscores the need to immediately make all efforts to stop emissions of greenhouse gases. This can be accomplished through a "just transition" to renewable energy that provides permanent jobs, and does not cause cancer like mining and burning fossil fuels. The technology exists today. All we need to do is implement it. And the first step is to halt fracking which is ruining the water and health of Pennsylvania.

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The Covid-19 pandemic underlines the need for universal healthcare. Many who lose their job cannot afford the payments to maintain their health insurance. In the modern gig economy, many do not receive health insurance through their employer. They may face the choice of paying for rent or healthcare, but not have enough resources for both. The health insurance that is available has too many deductibles, copays and limitations on coverage. Employers who provide healthcare will benefit from Medicare for All by having their costs reduced. Employers who do not provide healthcare will benefit from Medicare for All by having healthier workers. Medicare for All costs less for better care. Everyone benefits from Medicare for All.

---

The US has a higher incarceration rate than any other developed country in the world. Conditions in prisons are human rights violations, with overcrowding and inadequate food and healthcare. Prisoners are preyed upon with unreasonable charges to buy their own food and communicate with their family. Many inmates of local jails are held without being convicted of any crime solely because they do not have enough money to pay cash bail. Decriminalizing cannabis would have an immediate effect on reducing prison and jail populations, and save money. All current prisoners and inmates serving time solely for cannabis charges should be released and all past criminal records from cannabis convictions expunged.

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania in 2022.

Ronald Johnson

Party: Constitution Party

Incumbent: No

Political Office: None

Submitted Biography:  "My name is Ron Johnson I’m a family man that has 6 daughters 4 sons. I’m running for senator because I’m tired of the political garbage that is going on in Washington. My philosophy is this. take care of our own first uphold the constitution and everything that it stands for and nothing less."

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Key Messages

To read this candidate's full survey responses, click here.

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I will fight for your rights and not allow them to be taken from you.

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I’m going to fight for term limits

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I’m not a politician I’m a down to earth American that cares about what happens to you

This information was current as of the candidate's run for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania in 2022.

Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey responses

Ballotpedia asks all federal, state, and local candidates to complete a survey and share what motivates them on political and personal levels. The section below shows responses from candidates in this race who completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.

Survey responses from candidates in this race

Click on a candidate's name to visit their Ballotpedia page.

Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.

Expand all | Collapse all

Please list below 3 key messages of your campaign. What are the main points you want voters to remember about your goals for your time in office?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

I will fight for your rights and not allow them to be taken from you.

I’m going to fight for term limits

I’m not a politician I’m a down to earth American that cares about what happens to you

Richard Weiss (G)

The latest UN report on climate change underscores the need to immediately make all efforts to stop emissions of greenhouse gases. This can be accomplished through a "just transition" to renewable energy that provides permanent jobs, and does not cause cancer like mining and burning fossil fuels. The technology exists today. All we need to do is implement it. And the first step is to halt fracking which is ruining the water and health of Pennsylvania.

The Covid-19 pandemic underlines the need for universal healthcare. Many who lose their job cannot afford the payments to maintain their health insurance. In the modern gig economy, many do not receive health insurance through their employer. They may face the choice of paying for rent or healthcare, but not have enough resources for both. The health insurance that is available has too many deductibles, copays and limitations on coverage. Employers who provide healthcare will benefit from Medicare for All by having their costs reduced. Employers who do not provide healthcare will benefit from Medicare for All by having healthier workers. Medicare for All costs less for better care. Everyone benefits from Medicare for All.

The US has a higher incarceration rate than any other developed country in the world. Conditions in prisons are human rights violations, with overcrowding and inadequate food and healthcare. Prisoners are preyed upon with unreasonable charges to buy their own food and communicate with their family. Many inmates of local jails are held without being convicted of any crime solely because they do not have enough money to pay cash bail. Decriminalizing cannabis would have an immediate effect on reducing prison and jail populations, and save money. All current prisoners and inmates serving time solely for cannabis charges should be released and all past criminal records from cannabis convictions expunged.

What areas of public policy are you personally passionate about?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Policies that are a top priority for me are keeping your rights as an American by that I will not stand by and watch them or let them take ANY part of the constitution or any of the amendments and do away with them.

Richard Weiss (G)

This is a link to an interview with me on the KDKA morning radio show: https://24343.mc.tritondigital.com/OMNY_KDKAMORNINGNEWSWITHLARRYRICHERTANDJOHNSHUM_P/media-session/6abb8b6c-7934-4f0e-9274-583b6d5bb393/d/clips/4b5f9d6d-9214-48cb-8455-a73200038129/23d39bcc-80d0-4a91-abb0-a78e00b60011/11e84545-ba45-437e-bac5-aee800a2eec5/audio/direct/t1659693473/2022_Pennsylvania_Green_Party_Candidate_Richard_Weiss.mp3?t=1659693473

As U.S. Senator from Pennsylvania, my first act would be to call for a vote on Medicare for All. I oppose fracking and support a rapid transition to renewable energy as well as reproductive rights and sensible gun regulation. The U.S. should negotiate peace, close the overseas military bases opened since 9/11, bring the troops home and spend that money at home.

Get money out of politics and publicly finance all campaigns. The Green Party accepts no donations from corporations, but instead relies on ordinary working people. Make a monthly donation for as little as $3 per month or as much as generosity inspires at gpofpa.org/join_us .

Ranked choice voting (RCV), also known as the instant runoff, eliminates any perceived or real spoiler effect. https://ballotpedia.org/Ranked-choice_voting_(RCV)

Make election day a public holiday. in order to reduce or elimate doubts, require hand marked ballots, counted by hand on camera. Register everyone to vote at birth, or at the polling place, with the option of giving a fingerprint if not photo ID. Fingerprint readers could confirm the person has not voted elsewhere.

Who do you look up to? Whose example would you like to follow, and why?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

I looked up to my Uncle Glen. Great man. And would tell you how it is and didn’t take any thing less. Political wise would be president Ronald Reagan. Best president in my life time.

What characteristics or principles are most important for an elected official?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

They must and none of them are but they must be honest fair and forthcoming. They need to stop with the mega donors that are influencing them.

What qualities do you possess that you believe would make you a successful officeholder?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

I don’t quit and when I go after something that I feel that it’s best then I don’t stop until I get it.

What do you believe are the core responsibilities for someone elected to this office?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

To take care of the people that they represent and STOP all the crap that’s happening in DC

What legacy would you like to leave?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

The one that stops Washington from taking your rights away

What is the first historical event that happened in your lifetime that you remember? How old were you at the time?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Miracle on Ice I was 14 years old

What was your very first job? How long did you have it?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

United States Army. 7yrs

Richard Weiss (G)

I worked in my family's bakery business until I went to college.

What is your favorite book? Why?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

No book

What was the last song that got stuck in your head?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Lol none

What do you perceive to be the United States’ greatest challenges as a nation over the next decade?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

The Taliban

Richard Weiss (G)

Climate change.

What are your thoughts on term limits?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Very strong on term limits. That’s one reason I’m running.

Richard Weiss (G)

There should be term limits.

What qualities does the U.S. Senate possess that makes it unique as an institution?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

The Senate is an independent body of so called responsible citizens who would share power with the president and the House of Representative but 9 times out of 10 that doesn’t happen.

Do you believe that it’s beneficial for senators to have previous experience in government or politics?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

No I don’t believe that that someone should have experience to be in politics.

Richard Weiss (G)

Not if you want something different.

What do you think of the filibuster?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

We should keep it.

Richard Weiss (G)

Circumventing the filibuster with a rules manuver is the “nuclear option.” Any filibuster can be defeated with a simple majority vote or as little as 50 votes plus a tie breaking vote cast by the Vice President of the United States.

Those casting 50 votes plus tiebreaker cast by the Vice President can already pass anything they want anytime they want.

The filibuster is possible due to a Senate rule requiring 60 votes to end debate. The decision whether procedure was valid is by majority vote. Thus the majority party can take a vote and override any objection by majority vote (50+ VP tiebreaker). This is the “nuclear option.”

The filibuster is regularly circumvented and has been cirumvented over 100 times to pass legislation already. It would be just as simple to eliminate the filibuster entirely. However, the filibuster is not an obstacle to passing legislation.

What criteria would you apply when deciding whether to confirm presidential appointees?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

That depends on the position.

If you are not a current senator, are there certain committees that you would want to be a part of?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

No

Richard Weiss (G)

I would want to start a new committed on climate which touches on all other committees because it is an existential issue.

Is there a particular senator, past or present, whom you want to model yourself after?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Pa state sen. Robert (Bob) Robins.

Richard Weiss (G)

Bernie Sanders

How would you evaluate a judicial nominee?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

His experience, how do other judges or lawyers think of him. Is he/she fair committed to his field.

What kind of relationships would you build with other senators?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

A very strong relationship unless they don’t support the constitution

Richard Weiss (G)

I would work with senators from all parties on common issues.

Do you believe that compromise is necessary or desirable for policymaking?

Ronald Johnson (Constitution)

Sometimes I do

Campaign advertisements

This section includes a selection of up to three campaign advertisements per candidate released in this race, as well as links to candidates' YouTube, Vimeo, and/or Facebook video pages. If you are aware of other links that should be included, please email us.

John Fetterman

October 14, 2022

September 15, 2022

February 8, 2021

View more ads here:

• YouTube

Mehmet Oz

September 5, 2022

August 5, 2022

November 30, 2021

View more ads here:

• YouTube

Debates and forums

October 25, 2022 debate

On October 25, 2022, Fetterman and Oz participated in a debate hosted by WHTM - ABC27 News.

• Click here to watch a recording of the event

Click on the links below for summaries of the event:

• WGAL
• The Philedelphia Inquirer
• The Wall Street Journal
• Associated Press
• The Washington Post

Election competitiveness

Polls

See also: Ballotpedia's approach to covering polls

Polls are conducted with a variety of methodologies and have margins of error or credibility intervals. The Pew Research Center wrote, "A margin of error of plus or minus 3 percentage points at the 95% confidence level means that if we fielded the same survey 100 times, we would expect the result to be within 3 percentage points of the true population value 95 of those times." For tips on reading polls from FiveThirtyEight, click here. For tips from Pew, click here.

Below we provide results for polls that are included in polling aggregation from FiveThirtyEight and RealClearPolitics, when available. Click here to read about FiveThirtyEight's criteria for including polls in its aggregation. We only report polls for which we can find a margin of error or credibility interval.

U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022: General election polls
Poll	Date	Fetterman	Oz	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Research Co.	November 4-6	49%	48%	7%	± 4.6	450 LV	-
InsiderAdvantage	November 3	46%	48%	7%	± 3.6	750 LV	WTXF-TV (Philadelphia)
Trafalgar Group	November 1-3	46%	48%	5%	± 2.9	1,097 LV	-
Remington Research Group	November 1-2	44%	47%	9%	± 2.8	1,180 LV	-
Marist College	October 31-November 2	50%	44%	6%	± 3.8	1,152 LV	-

Click [show] to see older poll results
Poll	Date	Fetterman	Oz	Undecided/Other	Margin of error	Sample size	Sponsor
Susquehanna Polling & Research	October 28-November 1	47%	48%	6%	± 3.7	700 LV	-
Emerson College	October 28-31	47%	48%	7%	± 3.0	1,000 LV	WHTM-TV (Harrisburg, Pa.), The Hill
Suffolk University	October 27-30	47%	45%	8%	± 4.4	500 LV	USA Today
Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research	October 26-30	45%	42%	12%	± 3.0	1,005 RV	Fox News
co/efficient	October 26-28	45%	48%	7%	± 3.4	1,716 LV	-
Muhlenberg College	October 24-28	47%	47%	5%	± 6.0	460 LV	The Morning Call
Wick Insights	October 26-27	46%	48%	7%	± 3.2	1,000 LV	-
InsiderAdvantage	October 26	45%	48%	7%	± 3.6	750 LV	-
The New York Times/Siena College	October 24-26	49%	44%	6%	± 4.4	620 LV	-
YouGov	October 21-24	51%	49%	-	± 4.4	1,084 RV	CBS News
Franklin & Marshall College	October 14-23	45%	40%	15%	± 5.3	620 RV	-
Rasmussen Reports/Pulse Opinion Research	October 19-20	45%	43%	12%	± 3.0	972 LV	-
InsiderAdvantage	October 19	46%	46%	8%	± 4.2	550 LV	WTXF-TV
Wick Insights	October 8-13	45%	49%	6%	± 3.1	1,013 LV	-
Trafalgar Group	October 8-11	47%	45%	8%	± 2.9	1,078 LV	The Daily Wire
Suffolk University	September 27-30	46%	40%	10%	± 4.4	500 LV	USA Today
Emerson College	September 23-26	45%	43%	13%	± 3.0	1,000 LV	-
Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research	September 22-26	45%	41%	14%	± 3.0	1,008 RV	Fox News
Franklin & Marshall	September 19-25, 2022	45%	42%	13%	± 5.6	517 RV	-
InsiderAdvantage	September 23-24	45%	42%	12%	± 4.2	550 LV	WTXF-TV
Marist College	September 19-22	51%	41%	7%	± 3.5	1,242 RV	-
Phillips Academy	September 16-19	47%	45%	9%	± 3.6	759 RV	Abbot Academy Fund
Muhlenberg College	September 13-16	49%	44%	7%	± 6.0	420 LV	The Morning Call
Trafalgar Group	September 13-15	48%	46%	6%	± 2.9	1,078 LV	-
YouGov	September 6-12	52%	47%	1%	± 3.8	1,194 RV	CBS News
Echelon Insights	August 31-September 7	57%	36%	7%	± 3.5	828 RV	NetChoice
RABA Research	August 31-September 3	49%	40%	11%	± 3.8	679 LV	-
Susquehanna Polling and Research	August 22-29	49%	44%	7%	± 3.7	718 LV	-
Emerson College	August 22-23	48%	44%	8%	± 3.0	1,034 LV	-
Franklin & Marshall College	August 15-21	43%	30%	28%	± 5.3	522 RV	-
Trafalgar Group	August 15-18	48%	44%	9%	± 2.9	1,096 LV	-
Public Opinion Strategies	August 7-10	51%	33%	15%	± 4.0	600 RV	Pittsburgh Works
Beacon Research/Shaw & Company Research/Fox News	July 22-26	47%	36%	16%	± 3.0	901 RV	-
PEM Management Research	July 22-24	44%	38%	19%	± 2.8	300 LV	John Bolton Super PAC
Beacon Research	July 5-20	50%	39%	18%	± 4.0	609 LV	Environmental Voter Project
Cygnal	June 16-17	48%	44%	8%	± 4.2	535 LV	-
Fabrizio, Lee & Associates/Impact Research	June 12-19	50%	44%	6%	± 4.4	500 LV	AARP
Suffolk University/USA Today	June 10-13	46%	37%	17%	± 4.4	500 LV	-

The chart below shows RealClearPolitics polling averages in this race over time.

Race ratings

See also: Race rating definitions and methods

Ballotpedia provides race ratings from four outlets: The Cook Political Report, Inside Elections, Sabato's Crystal Ball, and DDHQ/The Hill. Each race rating indicates if one party is perceived to have an advantage in the race and, if so, the degree of advantage:

• Safe and Solid ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge and the race is not competitive.
• Likely ratings indicate that one party has a clear edge, but an upset is possible.
• Lean ratings indicate that one party has a small edge, but the race is competitive.
• Toss-up ratings indicate that neither party has an advantage.

Race ratings are informed by a number of factors, including polling, candidate quality, and election result history in the race's district or state.

Race ratings: U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2022
Race tracker	Race ratings
	November 8, 2022	November 1, 2022	October 25, 2022	October 18, 2022
The Cook Political Report with Amy Walter	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Inside Elections with Nathan L. Gonzales	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up	Toss-up
Larry J. Sabato's Crystal Ball	Lean Republican	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic	Lean Democratic
Note: Ballotpedia reviews external race ratings every week throughout the election season and posts weekly updates even if the media outlets have not revised their ratings during that week.

Noteworthy endorsements

Click the links below to see endorsement lists published on candidate campaign websites, if available. If you are aware of a website that should be included, please email us.

• Mehmet Oz

This section lists noteworthy endorsements issued in this election, including those made by high-profile individuals and organizations, cross-party endorsements, and endorsements made by newspaper editorial boards. Please note that this list is not exhaustive. If you are aware of endorsements that should be included, please email us.

Noteworthy endorsements
Endorser	John Fetterman	Mehmet Oz
Government officials
President Joe Biden (D)  source	✔
Vice President Kamala D. Harris (D)  source	✔
U.S. Senator Bob Casey Jr. (D)  source	✔
U.S. Senator Pat Toomey (R)  source		✔
Individuals
Frmr. Pres. Barack Obama  source	✔
Former candidate Everett Stern  source	✔
Frmr. U.S. President Donald Trump  source		✔
Newspapers and editorials
PennLive  source	✔
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette  source		✔
The Philadelphia Inquirer  source	✔
The Philadelphia Tribune Editorial Board  source	✔

Click here to see a list of endorsements in the May 17, 2022, Democratic primary

Democratic primary endorsements Endorser  John Fetterman  Conor Lamb Government officials U.S. Rep. Matt Cartwright (D)  source   ✔ U.S. Rep. Michael Doyle (D)  source   ✔ Newspapers and editorials The Philadelphia Inquirer  source   ✔ The Philadelphia Tribune Editorial Board  source ✔   Organizations National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws PAC  source ✔   National Organization for Women PAC  source   ✔

Click here to see a list of endorsements in the May 17, 2022, Republican primary

Republican primary endorsements Endorser  Kathy Barnette  Jeff Bartos  David McCormick  Mehmet Oz  Sean Parnell Government officials U.S. Sen. Kevin Cramer (R)  source       ✔   U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R)  source     ✔     U.S. Sen. Joni Ernst (R)  source ✔         U.S. Sen. Daniel S. Sullivan (R)  source     ✔     U.S. Rep. Fred Keller (R)  source       ✔   U.S. Rep. Dan Meuser (R)  source     ✔     U.S. Rep. Burgess Owens (R)  source ✔         U.S. Rep. Guy Reschenthaler (R)  source       ✔   U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker (R)  source       ✔   U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R)  source     ✔     U.S. Rep. Glenn Thompson (R)  source     ✔     State Sen. Doug Mastriano (R)  source ✔         Pennsylvania Treasurer Stacy Garrity (R)  source   ✔       Individuals Frmr. U.S. HUD Secretary Ben Carson  source       ✔   Frmr. White House counselor Kellyanne Conway  source     ✔     Gen. Michael Flynn  source ✔         Radio host Sean Hannity  source       ✔   Frmr. White House Communications Director Hope Hicks  source     ✔     Frmr. Director of the National Economic Council Larry Kudlow  source     ✔     Frmr. White House senior policy advisor Stephen Miller  source     ✔     Frmr. candidate Sean Parnell  source     ✔     Frmr. U.S. Energy Secretary Rick Perry  source       ✔   Frmr. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo  source     ✔     Frmr. U.S. Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross  source       ✔   Frmr. U.S. Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders  source     ✔     Frmr. U.S. Sen. Rick Santorum  source     ✔     Republican National Committee member Christine Toretti  source     ✔     Frmr. U.S. President Donald Trump  source 1 source 2       ✔ ✔ Frmr. U.S. Interior Secretary Ryan K. Zinke  source       ✔   Organizations BlakPAC  source ✔         Club for Growth  source ✔         National Border Patrol Council  source     ✔     Republican National Hispanic Assembly  source ✔         Susan B. Anthony List  source ✔

Election spending

Campaign finance

This section contains campaign finance figures from the Federal Election Commission covering all candidate fundraising and spending in this election. It does not include information on fundraising before the current campaign cycle or on spending by satellite groups. The numbers in this section are updated as candidates file new campaign finance reports. Candidates for Congress are required to file financial reports on a quarterly basis, as well as two weeks before any primary, runoff, or general election in which they will be on the ballot and upon the termination of any campaign committees. Click here to view the reporting schedule for candidates for U.S. Congress in 2022.

U.S. Congress campaign reporting schedule, 2022
Report	Close of books	Filing deadline
Year-end 2021	12/31/2021	1/31/2022
April quarterly	3/31/2022	4/15/2022
July quarterly	6/30/2022	7/15/2022
October quarterly	9/30/2022	10/15/2022
Pre-general	10/19/2022	10/27/2022
Post-general	11/28/2022	12/08/2022
Year-end 2022	12/31/2022	1/31/2023

Name	Party	Receipts*	Disbursements**	Cash on hand	Date
John Fetterman	Democratic Party	$76,336,561	$75,709,211	$626,015	As of December 31, 2022
Mehmet Oz	Republican Party	$51,080,109	$49,392,955	$1,687,154	As of December 31, 2022
Ronald Johnson	Constitution Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Richard Weiss	Green Party	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Daniel Wassmer	Keystone Party of Pennsylvania	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Erik Chase Gerhardt	Libertarian Party	$35,197	$5,555	$29,737	As of December 31, 2022
Quincy Magee	Independent	$0	$0	$0	Data not available***
Source: Federal Elections Commission, "Campaign finance data," 2022. This product uses the openFEC API but is not endorsed or certified by the Federal Election Commission (FEC). * According to the FEC, "Receipts are anything of value (money, goods, services or property) received by a political committee." ** According to the FEC, a disbursement "is a purchase, payment, distribution, loan, advance, deposit or gift of money or anything of value to influence a federal election," plus other kinds of payments not made to influence a federal election. *** Candidate either did not report any receipts or disbursements to the FEC, or Ballotpedia did not find an FEC candidate ID.

Satellite spending

See also: Satellite spending

Satellite spending describes political spending not controlled by candidates or their campaigns; that is, any political expenditures made by groups or individuals that are not directly affiliated with a candidate. This includes spending by political party committees, super PACs, trade associations, and 501(c)(4) nonprofit groups.

If available, satellite spending reports by the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and OpenSecrets.org are linked below. FEC links include totals from monthly, quarterly, and semi-annual reports. OpenSecrets.org compiles data from those reports as well as 24- and 48-hour reports from the FEC.

Details about satellite spending of significant amounts and/or reported by media are included below those links. The amounts listed may not represent the total satellite spending in the election. To notify us of additional satellite spending, email us.

By candidate	By election
Federal Election Commission - John Fetteran Federal Election Commission - Mehmet Oz Federal Election Commission - Ronald Johnson Federal Election Commission - Erik Gerhardt Federal Election Commission - Quincy Magee Federal Election Commission - Everett Stern	Open Secrets - U.S. Senate Pennsylvania Federal Election Commission - U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

• October 12, 2022: NBC News reported that American Crossroads PAC was spending $4.1 million on ads supporting Oz.

• October 11, 2022: CNN reported that Senate Majority PAC planned to spend $33 million in the race. The PAC spent a portion of that on ads opposing Oz.

• October 6, 2022: Bloomberg reported that Make America Great Again Inc., a political action committee led by former President Donald Trump (R), would spend $770,000 on ads supporting Oz.

• October 4, 2022: The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Everytown for Gun Safety planned to spend $2.1 million on ads opposing Oz.

• September 1, 2022: American Leadership Action spent $500,000 on ads opposing Fetterman.

• August 9, 2022:
  • The Senate Leadership Fund spent $9.5 million in support of Oz, bringing its total spending in the state to $34 million.
  • The Democratic Senate Majority PAC launched a $32 million ad campaign in support of Fetterman.

Election analysis

Click the tabs below to view information about demographics, past elections, and partisan control of the state.

• Presidential elections - Information about presidential elections in the state.
• Statewide elections - Information about recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections in the state.
• State partisanship - The partisan makeup of the state's congressional delegation and state government.
• Demographics - Information about the state's demographics and how they compare to the country as a whole.

Presidential elections

See also: Presidential voting trends in Pennsylvania and The Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index

Cook PVI by congressional district

Cook Political Report's Partisan Voter Index for Pennsylvania, 2022
District	Incumbent	Party	PVI
Pennsylvania's 1st	Brian Fitzpatrick	Republican	Even
Pennsylvania's 2nd	Brendan Boyle	Democratic	D+20
Pennsylvania's 3rd	Dwight Evans	Democratic	D+39
Pennsylvania's 4th	Madeleine Dean	Democratic	D+7
Pennsylvania's 5th	Mary Gay Scanlon	Democratic	D+14
Pennsylvania's 6th	Chrissy Houlahan	Democratic	D+5
Pennsylvania's 7th	Susan Wild	Democratic	R+2
Pennsylvania's 8th	Matt Cartwright	Democratic	R+4
Pennsylvania's 9th	Dan Meuser	Republican	R+21
Pennsylvania's 10th	Scott Perry	Republican	R+5
Pennsylvania's 11th	Lloyd Smucker	Republican	R+13
Pennsylvania's 12th	Open	Democratic	D+8
Pennsylvania's 13th	John Joyce	Republican	R+25
Pennsylvania's 14th	Guy Reschenthaler	Republican	R+18
Pennsylvania's 15th	Glenn Thompson	Republican	R+21
Pennsylvania's 16th	Mike Kelly	Republican	R+13
Pennsylvania's 17th	Open	Democratic	Even

2020 presidential results by 2022 congressional district lines

2020 presidential results in congressional districts based on 2022 district lines, Pennsylvania
District	Joe Biden	Donald Trump
Pennsylvania's 1st	51.8%	47.2%
Pennsylvania's 2nd	71.0%	28.3%
Pennsylvania's 3rd	90.2%	9.3%
Pennsylvania's 4th	58.9%	40.0%
Pennsylvania's 5th	65.7%	33.4%
Pennsylvania's 6th	56.8%	42.0%
Pennsylvania's 7th	49.7%	49.1%
Pennsylvania's 8th	48.0%	50.9%
Pennsylvania's 9th	31.0%	67.5%
Pennsylvania's 10th	47.2%	51.3%
Pennsylvania's 11th	38.6%	59.9%
Pennsylvania's 12th	59.4%	39.5%
Pennsylvania's 13th	26.8%	72.0%
Pennsylvania's 14th	33.7%	65.2%
Pennsylvania's 15th	30.8%	67.8%
Pennsylvania's 16th	39.0%	59.7%
Pennsylvania's 17th	52.3%	46.5%

2012-2020

How a state's counties vote in a presidential election and the size of those counties can provide additional insights into election outcomes at other levels of government including statewide and congressional races. Below, four categories are used to describe each county's voting pattern over the 2012, 2016, and 2020 presidential elections: Solid, Trending, Battleground, and New. Click [show] on the table below for examples:

County-level voting pattern categories
Democratic
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Democratic	D	D	D
Trending Democratic	R	D	D
Battleground Democratic	D	R	D
New Democratic	R	R	D
Republican
Status	2012	2016	2020
Solid Republican	R	R	R
Trending Republican	D	R	R
Battleground Republican	R	D	R
New Republican	D	D	R

Following the 2020 presidential election, 47.2% of Pennsylvanians lived in one of the state's 10 Solid Democratic counties, which voted for the Democratic presidential candidate in every election from 2012 to 2020, and 41.7% lived in one of 53 Solid Republican counties. Overall, Pennsylvania was Battleground Democratic, having voted for Barack Obama (D) in 2012, Donald Trump (R) in 2016, and Joe Biden (D) in 2020. Use the table below to view the total number of each type of county in Pennsylvania following the 2020 election as well as the overall percentage of the state population located in each county type.

Pennsylvania county-level statistics, 2020
Solid Democratic	10	47.2%
Solid Republican	53	41.7%
Battleground Democratic	2	4.5%
Trending Democratic	1	4.1%
Trending Republican	1	2.5%
Total voted Democratic	13	55.8%
Total voted Republican	54	44.2%

Historical voting trends

Pennsylvania presidential election results (1900-2020)

• 14 Democratic wins
• 16 Republican wins
• 1 other win

Year	1900	1904	1908	1912	1916	1920	1924	1928	1932	1936	1940	1944	1948	1952	1956	1960	1964	1968	1972	1976	1980	1984	1988	1992	1996	2000	2004	2008	2012	2016	2020
Winning Party	R	R	R	P	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	R	D	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	D

Statewide elections

This section details the results of the five most recent U.S. Senate and gubernatorial elections held in the state.

U.S. Senate elections

See also: List of United States Senators from Pennsylvania

The table below details the vote in the five most recent U.S. Senate races in Pennsylvania.

U.S. Senate election results in Pennsylvania
Race	Winner	Runner up
2018	55.7%	42.6%
2016	48.9%	47.2%
2012	53.7%	44.6%
2010	51.0%	49.0%
2006	58.7%	41.3%
Average	53.6	44.9

Gubernatorial elections

See also: Governor of Pennsylvania

The table below details the vote in the five most recent gubernatorial elections in Pennsylvania.

Gubernatorial election results in Pennsylvania
Race	Winner	Runner up
2018	57.8%	40.7%
2014	54.9%	45.1%
2010	54.5%	45.5%
2006	60.3%	39.6%
2002	53.4%	44.4%
Average	56.2	43.1

State partisanship

Congressional delegation

The table below displays the partisan composition of Pennsylvania's congressional delegation as of November 2022.

Congressional Partisan Breakdown from Pennsylvania, November 2022
Party	U.S. Senate	U.S. House	Total
Democratic	1	9	10
Republican	1	9	10
Independent	0	0	0
Vacancies	0	0	0
Total	2	18	20

State executive

The table below displays the officeholders in Pennsylvania's top four state executive offices as of November 2022.

State executive officials in Pennsylvania, November 2022
Office	Officeholder
Governor	Tom Wolf
Lieutenant Governor	John Fetterman
Secretary of State	Leigh Chapman
Attorney General	Josh Shapiro

State legislature

The tables below highlight the partisan composition of the Pennsylvania General Assembly as of November 2022.

Pennsylvania State Senate

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	21
	Republican Party	28
	Independent	1
	Vacancies	0
Total		50

Pennsylvania House of Representatives

Party		As of November 2022
	Democratic Party	88
	Republican Party	113
	Vacancies	2
Total		203

Trifecta control

As of November 2022, Pennsylvania was a divided government, with Democrats controlling the governorship and Republican majorities in both chambers of the state legislature. The table below displays the historical trifecta status of the state.

Pennsylvania Party Control: 1992-2022
One year of a Democratic trifecta  •  Twelve years of Republican trifectas
Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

Year	92	93	94	95	96	97	98	99	00	01	02	03	04	05	06	07	08	09	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	19	20	21	22
Governor	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	D	D	D	D
Senate	R	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R
House	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	D	D	D	D	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R	R

Demographics

The table below details demographic data in Pennsylvania and compares it to the broader United States as of 2019.

Demographic Data for Pennsylvania
	Pennsylvania	United States
Population	12,702,379	308,745,538
Land area (sq mi)	44,742	3,531,905
Race and ethnicity**
White	80.5%	72.5%
Black/African American	11.2%	12.7%
Asian	3.4%	5.5%
Native American	0.2%	0.8%
Pacific Islander	0%	0.2%
Other (single race)	2.2%	4.9%
Multiple	2.5%	3.3%
Hispanic/Latino	7.3%	18%
Education
High school graduation rate	90.5%	88%
College graduation rate	31.4%	32.1%
Income
Median household income	$61,744	$62,843
Persons below poverty level	12.4%	13.4%
Source: population provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "Decennial Census" (2010). Other figures provided by U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2014-2019).
**Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Election context

Ballot access

The table below details filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates in Pennsylvania in the 2022 election cycle. For additional information on candidate ballot access requirements in Pennsylvania, click here.

Filing requirements for U.S. Senate candidates, 2022
State	Office	Party	Signatures required	Filing fee	Filing deadline	Source
Pennsylvania	U.S. Senate	Ballot-qualified party	2,000	$200.00	3/15/2022	Source
Pennsylvania	U.S. Senate	Unaffiliated	2% of the largest entire vote cast for any elected statewide candidate in the last election	$200.00	8/1/2022	Source

Election history

General election

General election for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

Incumbent Bob Casey Jr. defeated Lou Barletta, Dale Kerns, and Neal Gale in the general election for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on November 6, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Casey Jr. (D)	55.7	2,792,437
		Lou Barletta (R)	42.6	2,134,848
		Dale Kerns (L)	1.0	50,907
		Neal Gale (G)	0.6	31,208

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 5,009,400
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Democratic primary election

Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

Incumbent Bob Casey Jr. advanced from the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Bob Casey Jr.	100.0	752,008

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 752,008
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
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Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Brian Kelly (D)
• Ray Uhric (D)

Republican primary election

Republican primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania

Lou Barletta defeated Jim Christiana in the Republican primary for U.S. Senate Pennsylvania on May 15, 2018.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔		Lou Barletta	63.0	433,312
		Jim Christiana	37.0	254,118

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified.	Total votes: 687,430
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

• Joseph Vodvarka (R)
• Cynthia Ayers (R)
• Paul DeLong (R)
• Bobby Lawrence (R)

2016

See also: United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 2016

The race for Pennsylvania's U.S. Senate seat was one of nine competitive battleground races in 2016 that helped Republicans keep control of the upper chamber after the November 8 general election. Incumbent Pat Toomey (R), who began serving in the Senate in 2011, defeated Katie McGinty (D), Edward Clifford III (L), and write-in candidate Everett Stern (I) in the general election.

Toomey ran his campaign separately from Donald Trump, and he did not tell people who he would vote for on Election Day. Toomey said, “You know, I’m not campaigning with Donald Trump. He’s running his campaign. I’m running mine.”

Hillary Clinton, who campaigned with McGinty in October, criticized Toomey for not rejecting Trump as his party’s nominee. She said, “How much does he have to hear or to see? If he doesn’t have the courage to stand up against Donald Trump after all of this, then how will he stand up to special interests and powerful forces that are going to be trying to have their way in Washington?”

Speaking about his campaign strategy, Toomey said, “I am convinced that Pennsylvania voters are going to make a complete separation in their minds. … There’s a presidential race going on, quite obviously, lots of attention, lots of focus, everybody’s got their opinion about it, and then there’s a totally separate thing happening in the Senate race — an incumbent senator most people know and an opponent. Totally separate campaign and totally separate judgment.” Toomey stated on Election Day that he voted for Trump.

U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania General Election, 2016

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Republican	Pat Toomey Incumbent	48.8%	2,951,702
	Democratic	Katie McGinty	47.3%	2,865,012
	Libertarian	Edward Clifford	3.9%	235,142
Total Votes				6,051,856
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State

U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania Democratic Primary, 2016

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Katie McGinty	42.5%	669,774
Joe Sestak	32.6%	513,221
John Fetterman	19.5%	307,090
Joseph Vodvarka	5.4%	85,837
Total Votes		1,575,922
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State

2012

See also: United States Senate elections in Pennsylvania, 2012

Bob Casey Jr. won re-election to the United States Senate in 2012.

U.S. Senate, Pennsylvania General Election, 2012

Party		Candidate	Vote %	Votes
	Democratic	Bob Casey Jr. Incumbent	53.7%	3,021,364
	Republican	Tom Smith	44.6%	2,509,132
	Libertarian	Rayburn Douglas Smith	1.7%	96,926
Total Votes				5,627,422
Source: Pennsylvania Department of State

U.S. Senate-Pennsylvania Republican Primary, 2012

Candidate	Vote %	Votes
Tom Smith	39.5%	299,726
Sam Rohrer	22.3%	169,118
John Marc Scaringi	6.8%	51,908
David Christian	10.5%	79,581
Steve Welch	20.9%	158,181
Total Votes		758,514

Republican-held Senate seat in state Biden won

See also: States won by Joe Biden in 2020 with Republican-held U.S. Senate seats up for election in 2022

This was one of two Senate seats Republicans were defending in states Joe Biden (D) won in the 2020 presidential election:

• Pennsylvania: Biden defeated Donald Trump (R) 50.0%-48.8%. Incumbent Pat Toomey did not seek re-election.
• Wisconsin: Biden defeated Trump 49.5%-48.8%. Incumbent Ron Johnson sought re-election.

Democrats were not defending any Senate seats in states Trump won in 2020.

The following table shows the 2020 presidential election margin of victory in percentage points for each state with a Senate election in 2022. Click [show] on the right to expand the table.

2022 Senate elections
State	Pre-election incumbent	2020 presidential margin of victory
Alabama	Richard Shelby	Trump + 24.5
Alaska	Lisa Murkowski	Trump + 10.0
Arizona	Mark Kelly	Biden + 0.3
Arkansas	John Boozman	Trump + 27.6
California	Alex Padilla	Biden + 29.2
Colorado	Michael Bennet	Biden + 13.5
Connecticut	Richard Blumenthal	Biden + 20.1
Florida	Marco Rubio	Trump + 3.3
Georgia	Raphael Warnock	Biden + 0.2
Hawaii	Brian Schatz	Biden + 29.4
Idaho	Mike Crapo	Trump + 30.7
Illinois	Tammy Duckworth	Biden + 16.9
Indiana	Todd Young	Trump + 16.0
Iowa	Chuck Grassley	Trump + 8.2
Kansas	Jerry Moran	Trump + 14.6
Kentucky	Rand Paul	Trump + 25.9
Louisiana	John Neely Kennedy	Trump + 18.6
Maryland	Chris Van Hollen	Biden + 33.2
Missouri	Roy Blunt	Trump + 14.4
Nevada	Catherine Cortez Masto	Biden + 2.4
New Hampshire	Maggie Hassan	Biden + 7.3
New York	Charles Schumer	Biden + 23.2
North Carolina	Richard Burr	Trump + 1.3
North Dakota	John Hoeven	Trump + 33.3
Ohio	Rob Portman	Trump + 8.1
Oklahoma	James Lankford	Trump + 33.1
Oregon	Ron Wyden	Biden + 16.1
Pennsylvania	Pat Toomey	Biden + 1.2
South Carolina	Tim Scott	Trump + 11.7
South Dakota	John Thune	Trump + 26.2
Utah	Mike Lee	Trump + 20.5
Vermont	Patrick Leahy	Biden +35.4
Washington	Patty Murray	Biden + 19.2
Wisconsin	Ron Johnson	Biden + 0.6

2022 battleground elections

See also: Battlegrounds

This election was a battleground race. Other 2022 battleground elections included:

• Alabama Secretary of State election, 2022 (June 21 Republican primary runoff)
• Michigan Secretary of State election, 2022
• North Carolina's 13th Congressional District election, 2022 (May 17 Democratic primary)
• Texas Railroad Commissioner election, 2022 (May 24 Republican primary runoff)
• Texas' 3rd Congressional District election, 2022 (March 1 Republican primary)

See also

Pennsylvania	2022 primaries	2022 U.S. Congress elections
Pennsylvania congressional delegation Voting in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania elections: 2022 • 2021 • 2020 • 2019 • 2018	Democratic primary battlegrounds Republican primary battlegrounds U.S. Senate Democratic primaries U.S. Senate Republican primaries U.S. House Democratic primaries U.S. House Republican primaries	U.S. Congress elections U.S. Senate elections U.S. House elections Special elections Ballot access

External links

• Search Google News for this topic

Footnotes

[show]

Pennsylvania's current delegation to the United States Congress

Senators

John Fetterman (D)

David McCormick (R)

Representatives

District 1

Brian Fitzpatrick (R)

District 2

Brendan Boyle (D)

District 3

Dwight Evans (D)

District 4

Madeleine Dean (D)

District 5

Mary Scanlon (D)

District 6

Chrissy Houlahan (D)

District 7

Ryan Mackenzie (R)

District 8

Rob Bresnahan (R)

District 9

Dan Meuser (R)

District 10

Scott Perry (R)

District 11

Lloyd Smucker (R)

District 12

Summer Lee (D)

District 13

John Joyce (R)

District 14

Guy Reschenthaler (R)

District 15

Glenn Thompson (R)

District 16

Mike Kelly (R)

District 17

Chris Deluzio (D)

Republican Party (11)

Democratic Party (8)

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