1991 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania

none March 2026 April 2025 1991 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania Pennsylvania presidential no 1988 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 1988 1994 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania 1994 November 5, 1991 150x150px Harriswofford (cropped).jpg Harris Wofford Democratic Party (United States) 1,860,760 55.01% Dick Thornburgh.jpg Dick Thornburgh Republican Party (United States) 1,521,986 44.99% 1991 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania results map by county.svg 260px County resultsWofford: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80%Thornburgh: #e27f7f 50–60% #d75d5d 60–70% U.S. Senator Harris Wofford Democratic Party (United States) Harris Wofford Democratic Party (United States) The 1991 United States Senate special election in Pennsylvania was held on November 5, 1991, after incumbent Republican senator John Heinz died in a plane crash on April 4. Harris Wofford was appointed to the seat by Pennsylvania governor Bob Casey and won the general election by 10 percentage points over U.S. attorney general and former governor Dick Thornburgh. Major-party candidates for this election were chosen by party committees, as the vacancy had happened too late for a primary to be held. The Democratic nomination was predetermined by Casey's choice of Wofford on May 8, which he settled on after more prominent candidates such as Thomas W. Kelly and Lee Iacocca publicly declined. Thornburgh announced that he would accept the Republican nomination on June 4, though he did not resign as attorney general in order to begin campaigning until August. Wofford became Pennsylvania's first Democratic senator since Joseph S. Clark, Jr. left office in 1969. This was the first time a Democrat won this seat since 1940. Background Death of Senator John Heinz Merion air disaster On April 4, 1991, United States senator John Heinz was killed when his Piper Aerostar propeller-driven aircraft collided in mid-air with a Bell 412 helicopter over Merion Elementary School in Lower Merion Township, a suburb northwest of Philadelphia. All five people in both aircraft were killed.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=3gsQAAAAIBAJ&sjid=WosDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6874%2C697824 Free Lance-Star Fredericksburg, Virginia Associated Press Duncombe Ted Senator, six others killed in crash April 5, 1991 13 Two school children on the ground were also killed by falling debris.https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=-iseAAAAIBAJ&sjid=7JYEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5880%2C938314 Pittsburgh Press Associated Press Sen. Heinz killed in Philly plane crash April 4, 1991 A1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=vuFRAAAAIBAJ&sjid=bm4DAAAAIBAJ&pg=4569%2C1355031 Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Tuma Gary Crash kills Sen. Heinz April 5, 1991 1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=nhweAAAAIBAJ&sjid=cGQEAAAAIBAJ&pg=5050%2C1368506 Pittsburgh Press Smith Matthew P. Check by copter branded a mistake April 5, 1991 A1https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=CdoxAAAAIBAJ&sjid=8uQFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1906%2C1006899 Reading Eagle Pennsylvania Associated Press Heinz crash probe begins April 5, 1991 1 alt=Senator John Heinz|left|thumb|221x221px|Senator John Heinz Pennsylvania governor Bob Casey memorialized Heinz as "a distinguished and dedicated son of Pennsylvania." Heinz had been re-elected to his third term in the Senate in 1988 and the term was not set to expire until 1995. Governor Casey was empowered to appoint an interim Senator to fill the vacant seat until a successor could be duly elected in November, as required by statute. In the immediate aftermath of the Senator's death, Casey declined to name any potential replacement, though it was expected Casey would pick the state's first Democratic senator since 1968.Report Morning Call Staff April 5, 1991 CASEY WON'T SAY IF HE WILL NAME HEINZ SUCCESSOR https://www.mcall.com/1991/04/05/casey-wont-say-if-he-will-name-heinz-successor/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240125050243/https://www.mcall.com/1991/04/05/casey-wont-say-if-he-will-name-heinz-successor/ January 25, 2024 January 25, 2024 The Morning Call en-US Casey refused to say yesterday if he will exercise his authority, which until yesterday seemed to be a little-known fact in the state Capitol... Casey is universally expected to exercise his power and appoint a temporary successor. That appointee surely will be a fellow Democrat, officials agreed. He or she would be Pennsylvania’s first Democratic senator since Sen. Joseph Clark left office in 1968. Because Heinz's death came in April, it was too late for primaries to determine the party nominees for the special election. Instead, the state party committees would determine the nominees for the special election.August 2022 Appointment and Democratic nomination Candidates Appointee Harris Wofford, Pennsylvania secretary of labor and industry Declined appointment Lee Iacocca, CEO of ChryslerIacocca Says No to Senate; Governor Keeps Looking Morris David May 6, 1991 August 11, 2022 https://apnews.com/article/1e89d8b7196f4e233a719d07e6c6e2b5 Thomas W. Kelly, retired U.S. Army lieutenant general Considered for appointment Bob Casey, governor of Pennsylvania Kate Ford Elliott, judge of the Superior Court of Pennsylvania William H. Gray III, U.S. representative from Philadelphia and House majority whip William J. Green III, former mayor of Philadelphia John Murtha, U.S. representative from Johnstown Art Rooney II, Pittsburgh attorney and owner of the Pittsburgh Steelers Mark Singel, lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania Selection process Without an open popular vote for the nomination, Casey's appointment would almost certainly determine the Democratic nominee for the November election. One prominent candidate who received speculation was lieutenant governor Mark Singel, who had been preparing to run against Arlen Specter in 1992.Report Morning Call Staff April 5, 1991 CASEY WON'T SAY IF HE WILL NAME HEINZ SUCCESSOR https://www.mcall.com/1991/04/05/casey-wont-say-if-he-will-name-heinz-successor/ live https://web.archive.org/web/20240125050243/https://www.mcall.com/1991/04/05/casey-wont-say-if-he-will-name-heinz-successor/ January 25, 2024 January 25, 2024 The Morning Call en-US The logical choice is Lt. Gov. Mark Singel, 37, of Johnstown. Singel has been openly weighing a run against Pennsylvania’s other U.S. senator, Arlen Specter, whose six-year term ends next year. On Monday, Singel announced the formation of an extensive committee to start raising money for that race. However, a problem was that Republican Senate president Robert Jubelirer, would ascend to replace Singel.Crass Scott Last of Its Kind - First of This Kind: : Early 1990's Senate Campaigns - Transformed from Ordinary to Calls for More Women & Change Xilibris 2022 9781669827962 301 en ...but his current position was far more valuable to Casey... Singel presided over the State Senate and leaving would mean turning the gavel over to Senate President Robert Jubilierer, a Republican... Casey would eventually rule out a Singel appointment publicly, in addition to declining any plans to nominate himself.April 15, 1991 Casey rules out himself, Singel for Heinz seat https://books.google.com/books?id=EtoxAAAAIBAJ&dq=casey+appoint+singer+to+senate&pg=PA14&article_id=1314,7261037 January 25, 2024 Reading Eagle 24 Associated Press Casey offered the seat to lieutenant general Thomas W. Kelly, who had retired from active duty in April and was the public face of the Gulf War as head of the National Military Command Center. Kelly, who was born and raised in Philadelphia but no longer lived in Pennsylvania, declined.https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/politics/1991/05/09/casey-names-wofford-to-succeed-sen-heinz/5ca587fd-dfbe-4e08-ae8c-beaf5d52181a/ May 9, 1991 Casey Names Wofford to Succeed Sen. Heinz Balz Dan August 11, 2022 In early May, Casey also privately offered the seat to Chrysler executive Lee Iacocca, who had elevated his political profile by criticism of President George H. W. Bush's industrial policy, with the understanding that Iacocca would immediately begin running for the special election for the remainder of Heinz's term.Iacocca is Offered, but Rejects, Heinz's Seat May 7, 1991 Decourcy Hinds Michael The New York Times A26 August 11, 2022 https://www.nytimes.com/1991/05/07/us/iacocca-is-offered-but-rejects-heinz-s-seat.html Although Iacocca was a native of Allentown, he lived in the Michigan suburbs and would have had to relocate to Pennsylvania before November to stand for election. On May 6, Iacocca publicly declined the offer of appointment, citing his family and corporate obligations. After Iacocca declined Casey's offer, the Governor came under extensive criticism from Republicans for the lengthy time he took to choose an appointee and his attempts to appoint non-residents; both Republicans and Democrats agreed that his primary focus was finding the strongest political candidate to take on Thornburgh, the likely Republican nominee. After Iacocca's public withdrawal, former Philadelphia mayor Bill Green III was considered the front-runner and a Casey aide confirmed that Green was under consideration. U.S. representatives William H. Gray and John Murtha, Pittsburgh lawyer Art Rooney II, and Superior Court judge Kate Ford Elliott were also mentioned as potential appointments. On May 8, Casey settled on Pennsylvania secretary of labor and industry Harris Wofford as Heinz's successor. Wofford had previously served as an advisor to President John F. Kennedy and the president of Bryn Mawr College, as well as Casey's law partner.https://newrepublic.com/article/120160/harris-wofford-20th-centurys-most-serendipitous-man The Man Who Was Everywhere The New Republic Jason Zengerle Jason Zengerle November 20, 2014 December 3, 2014 Casey's aides said that Wofford had been a contender since Heinz's death. Wofford was sworn in that day and immediately announced that he would be a candidate in the special election. Republican nomination Candidates Dick Thornburgh, U.S. attorney general and former governor of Pennsylvania Declined Stephen Freind, state representative from Delaware County Teresa Heinz, widow of John HeinzCongressional quarterly almanac : 102nd Congress, 1st session ... 1991 Congressional Quarterly Inc 1992 9780871877437 Washington D.C. 6–A en Shortly after Heinz’s death, Pennsylvania Republican leaders agreed the party nomination was for Heinz’s widow, Teresa. But, after discussing the matter with her three sons, she announced April 23 that she would not run because she had “too much healing to do, too many family responsibilities.” Tom Ridge, U.S. representative from Erie Campaign After Heinz's death, the Republican Party initially scheduled a statewide meeting for May 11 to choose their nominee, subject to the result of a series of regional caucuses. The initial candidate of choice was Heinz's widow Teresa, though she declined on April 23, citing a desire to continue the healing process and remain committed to her family. The next leading candidate was U.S. attorney general Dick Thornburgh. Parallel to Casey's struggle to find a willing appointee, Republicans struggled to get Thornburgh into the race. By the end of April, Thornburgh had not announced his intent, and at least one regional caucus was postponed.https://www.nytimes.com/1991/04/30/us/gop-waiting-for-thornburgh-s-decision.html G.O.P. Waiting for Thornburgh's Decision April 30, 1991 The New York Times A12 August 11, 2022 U.S. representative Tom Ridge announced that he would run if and only if Thornburgh declined. Thornburgh confirmed he would run on June 4, but at the behest of the White House, the meeting to officially nominate him was delayed again, from June to August, allowing Thornburgh to continue serving as attorney general for two more months. https://www.newspapers.com/image/174940853/ Thornburgh decides to run for Heinz seat Weiner Tim Epstein Aaron June 5, 1991 1A The Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers.com subscription April 14, 2025 https://www.newspapers.com/image/174941021/ GOP delays Thornburgh nomination June 6, 1991 Enda Jodi 1B The Philadelphia Inquirer Newspapers.com subscription April 14, 2025 General election Candidates Harris Wofford, incumbent U.S. senator and former Pennsylvania secretary of labor (Democratic) Dick Thornburgh, U.S. attorney general and former governor of Pennsylvania (Republican) Campaign At the time of Wofford's appointment, some speculated his liberal credentials could cause problems in a state that had not elected a Democrat to the Senate since 1962, but Democratic operative Paul Tully argued that his liberalism would be advantageous in the Philadelphia suburbs, which were key to any statewide win. As little as five months before the election, Wofford's own internal polling showed him trailing Thornburgh by upwards of 40 points. Both the state and national Democratic establishment were tepid toward Wofford, feeling that Casey had missed a prime opportunity to select a top tier candidate. Wofford struggled to fundraise and had difficulty communicating his message to the voters; because he had a bureaucratic as opposed to a political background, he was long-winded and received criticism in the media. With a large lead in the polls, Thornburgh laid back to avoid mistakes, which allowed Wofford to gain traction. Despite his elite upbringing, Wofford connected well with working class voters by making healthcare access the major plank of his campaign. He also successfully hit Thornburgh for his connections to President George H. W. Bush, whose popularity was steeply declining due to a growing recession. Thornburgh was unable to mount credible attacks against Wofford until after the Democrat had already established himself.https://www.nytimes.com/1991/11/06/us/1991-election-wofford-wins-senate-race-turning-back-thornburgh-gop-gains-edge.html Wofford Wins Senate Race, Turning Back Thornburgh; G.O.P. Gains Edge In Trenton Michael DeCourcy Hinds The New York Times November 6, 1991Kennedy John J. Pennsylvania elections : statewide contests from 1950-2004 2006 University Press of America Lanham, Md. 0761832793 68–70 https://books.google.com/books?id=1J_9q-lIWRkC&q=santorum&pg=PA112 There was widespread speculation that Thornburgh had struck a deal with Democratic congressman and House majority whip William H. Gray. Gray had been the subject of an investigation into alleged campaign finance irregularities and a grand jury investigation into his church's financial affairs. It was reported that Gray would not run in the special election, and in return Thornburgh would drop the investigation of him.http://articles.philly.com/1992-05-19/news/26010975_1_gray-murray-dickman-senate-seat https://web.archive.org/web/20131224084418/http://articles.philly.com/1992-05-19/news/26010975_1_gray-murray-dickman-senate-seat dead 24 December 2013 Did Dick Cut Bill A Deal? Book: Thornburgh Had Goods On Gray - philly-archives The Philadelphia Inquirer 26 August 2026 19 May 1992 Weisensee Nicolehttp://articles.philly.com/1991-06-20/news/25786379_1_black-colleges-william-h-gray-bill-gray https://web.archive.org/web/20131224120631/http://articles.philly.com/1991-06-20/news/25786379_1_black-colleges-william-h-gray-bill-gray dead December 24, 2013 Why Would Gray Resign? Several Ideas Are Floated - philly-archives The Philadelphia Inquirer July 23, 2015https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1990-04-20-mn-1416-story.html Thornburgh Aide Linked to Gray Leak : Congress: A Justice Department probe says the chief spokesman and an ex-FBI official confirmed a damaging report on House Democratic leader. April 20, 1990 Los Angeles Times July 23, 2015https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/19900613/1076995/the-conniving-ways-of-dick-thornburgh Editorials & Opinion | The Conniving Ways Of Dick Thornburgh community.seattletimes.nwsource.com July 23, 2015Black Americans in Congress, 1870-2007 October 3, 2008 United States Congress 9780160801945 https://books.google.com/books?id=-cNiPp-D260C&pg=PA494 494 July 23, 2015 Gray did not run in the election, and in fact resigned from Congress two months prior to it, in order to take a job as president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund. Thornburgh went on to lose by 338,774 votes to Wofford. Results 1991 U.S. Senate election in Pennsylvania Democratic Party (United States) Harris Wofford (incumbent) 1,860,760 55.01% 22.56 Republican Party (United States) Dick Thornburgh 1,521,986 44.99% 21.46 338,774 10.01% -23.99% 3,382,746 100.00% Democratic Party (United States) Wofford was not only victorious in traditionally Democratic areas, such as Philadelphia, Scranton, and metro Pittsburgh, but he also ran well in Republican strongholds. Wofford won three of the four suburban Philadelphia counties, which, although socially liberal, were strongly aligned with Republicans; Wofford's "roll-up-your-sleeves" campaign also allowed him to perform stronger than most Democrats in rural regions and to win several usually Republican counties with a strong labor base. As of 2024, this is the last Senate election where Crawford County and Northumberland County voted Democratic. Aftermath Wofford's appointment and election increased the Democratic Senate majority to 57 seats, diminishing Republican hopes of taking back the Senate in 1992. Wofford's victory proved to be a harbinger for Bill Clinton's victory in the presidential election held a year later. Wofford's campaign was run by Paul Begala and James Carville, who would go on to play key roles in the Clinton campaign. Democrats did very well across the state including in Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) and Philadelphia County (Philadelphia). The Los Angeles Times described Wofford's victory and as the "Pennsylvania miracle" and later noted in December 1991 that many Democratic presidential candidates now wanted Carville and his partner Paul Begala to be involved in their campaigns.https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-12-03-vw-498-story.html Message Man: After the Pennsylvania 'miracle,' Democrats hope James Carville can help them win the White House Geraldine Baum Los Angeles Times December 3, 1991 August 20, 2023 See also 1990 United States Senate elections 1992 United States Senate elections References Pennsylvania 1991 Pennsylvania 1991 United States Senate 1991 United States Senate Pennsylvania Senate