2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
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| 2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania | |
|---|---|
 Ali Zifan · CC BY-SA 4.0 · source | |
| Election name | 2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania |
| Country | Pennsylvania |
| Type | presidential |
| Previous election | 2012 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania |
| Previous year | 2012 |
| Next election | 2020 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania |
| Next year | 2020 |
| Election date | November 8, 2016 |
| Turnout | 61.03% |
| Nominee1 | Donald Trump |
| Party1 | Republican Party (United States) |
| Home state1 | New York |
| Running mate1 | Mike Pence |
| Electoral vote1 | 20 |
| Popular vote1 | 2,970,733 |
| Percentage1 | 48.18% |
| Nominee2 | Hillary Clinton |
| Party2 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Home state2 | New York |
| Running mate2 | Tim Kaine |
| Popular vote2 | 2,926,441 |
| Percentage2 | 47.46% |
2016 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania The 2016 presidential election in Pennsylvania was held on November 8, 2016, as part of the nationwide 2016 United States presidential election. Voters in Pennsylvania chose 20 electors to the Electoral College via a popular vote contest between major party nominees Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and several third-party and independent candidates. The result produced a narrow victory for Donald Trump over Hillary Clinton, marking the first Republican win in Pennsylvania since 1988.
Background
Pennsylvania's electoral significance reflected its history as a swing state contested in prior cycles including 2008 United States presidential election and 2012 United States presidential election, where Barack Obama won the state's 20 electoral votes. Demographic shifts in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Scranton, Allentown, and the Lehigh Valley contrasted with economic changes in the Rust Belt counties of Luzerne County, Erie County, Beaver County, and Cambria County. Labor unions such as the United Steelworkers, United Auto Workers, and political organizations like the Democratic National Committee and Republican National Committee mobilized around trade policy debates and the impact of agreements like the North American Free Trade Agreement and discussions around Trans-Pacific Partnership.
National figures including Bernie Sanders, Ted Cruz, Marco Rubio, John Kasich, Mike Pence, Tim Kaine, and media outlets such as The New York Times, The Washington Post, Fox News, and CNN shaped narratives that intersected with Pennsylvania politics. Issues of coal employment in Schuylkill County, manufacturing in Lancaster County, and fracking in the Marcellus Shale region were amplified by state officials like Tom Wolf and county commissioners. Historic institutions including Independence Hall, the Pennsylvania State Capitol, and universities such as University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, Carnegie Mellon University, and Temple University hosted events and polling.
Primaries and caucuses
Pennsylvania conducted closed primaries on April 26, 2016. The Democratic primary featured a contest between Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders, with endorsements and visits from labor leaders, legislators, and elected officials including John Fetterman and Bob Casey Jr. The Republican primary field included Donald Trump, Ted Cruz, and John Kasich, with prominent support or opposition from figures such as Paul Ryan, Rudy Giuliani, Chris Christie, and Sarah Palin. Voter registration rules administered by the Pennsylvania Department of State and county election boards determined participation, while debates and rallies took place at venues including Villanova University, Temple University],] and civic centers in Philadelphia County and Allegheny County.
Primary turnout, campaign endorsements from local newspapers like the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette and The Philadelphia Inquirer, and outreach from organizations such as the League of Women Voters influenced delegate allocation to the Democratic National Convention and Republican National Convention. The outcomes reflected national trends: Clinton won the Democratic primary, while Trump prevailed in the Republican contest, consolidating momentum toward the general election.
Campaign and polling
The general election campaign in Pennsylvania featured stops by Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton at manufacturing plants, union halls, and rallies in cities and battleground counties. Running mates Mike Pence and Tim Kaine campaigned in the state, as did surrogates including Michelle Obama, Bill Clinton, Bernie Sanders, Sarah Palin, and Newt Gingrich. Super PACs such as Make America Great Again Committee and Priorities USA Action, as well as advocacy groups like American Crossroads and Emily's List, ran television, radio, and digital advertising targeting media markets in Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Harrisburg, and Erie.
Polling by organizations including Rasmussen Reports, Quinnipiac University Polling Institute, Monmouth University Polling Institute, Morning Consult, Pew Research Center, and state university pollsters showed a tighter race than national averages, with frequent coverage in NPR, Politico, The Wall Street Journal, and Bloomberg News. Debates hosted at the national level—featuring the 2016 United States presidential debates moderated by Lester Holt and others—shaped perceptions, while local television stations like WPVI-TV, WTAE-TV, and KDKA-TV provided event coverage. Early voting, absentee ballots, and post-election litigation referenced procedures overseen by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and county boards of elections.
Results
The statewide result gave Donald Trump 2,970,733 votes (48.18%) and Hillary Clinton 2,926,441 votes (47.46%), a margin of 0.72 percentage points. Trump carried most rural counties and many former industrial counties including Cambria County, Luzerne County, Erie County, and Indiana County. Clinton won populous urban counties such as Philadelphia County, Allegheny County, Montgomery County, Bucks County, and Delaware County, securing large margins in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh suburbs. Third-party candidates including Gary Johnson, Jill Stein, and Evan McMullin received smaller shares, and write-in votes were recorded in multiple precincts.
Electoral votes were awarded on a statewide basis, and Pennsylvania's 20 electoral votes were cast for Donald Trump at the Electoral College meeting in December 2016. County-level maps and precinct data published by county boards depicted geographic polarization between urban, suburban, and rural areas, with swing behavior in the Lehigh Valley and Greater Erie regions.
Analysis and aftermath
Analyses by scholars at institutions such as University of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania State University, Carnegie Mellon University, Temple University, and think tanks including the Brookings Institution and Heritage Foundation examined factors including trade policy, cultural issues, and voter turnout. Exit polls by CNN and The New York Times highlighted differential support among white working-class voters in Northampton County and Luzerne County, shifts in suburban voters in Chester County and Montgomery County, and patterns among African American voters in Philadelphia and Allegheny County.
Post-election, litigation and recount discussions involved election officials and legal teams associated with Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump, the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, and the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. The outcome influenced the 2018 midterm strategies of figures like Tom Wolf, Bob Casey Jr., and congressional representatives including Dwight Evans and Conor Lamb, and set the stage for future contests in the 2020 presidential election, where Pennsylvania remained a focal point for national campaigns. Analyses continue in academic journals and media outlets assessing long-term implications for party coalitions, regional political realignment, and turnout dynamics in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Category:2016 elections in Pennsylvania