Pennsylvania 2010 Election Results

Pennsylvania held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 228 legislative seats and 2 statewide offices led by the governorship. Control shifted: the House moved from a 104-99 Democratic majority to a 112-91 Republican majority.

Highlights

• Republicans won the governorship and regained the House majority they lost in 2006, giving them full control of state government with the Senate they already held. Republican mapmakers used that control to draw the next decade's congressional map, which the state Supreme Court later declared unconstitutional in 2018.
• Attorney General Tom Corbett (R), who ran on his corruption prosecutions of state officeholders, beat Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato (D) by about 9 points for the open seat; Gov. Ed Rendell (D) could not seek a third term. Corbett became the first attorney general to win the governorship since Pennsylvania began electing its attorney general in 1980, and Jim Cawley (R) was elected lieutenant governor on his ticket.
• The House turnover reached leaders past and present. Majority Leader Todd Eachus (D) lost his Luzerne County seat, House District 116, to Tarah Toohil (R). Former Speaker John Perzel (R), facing corruption charges from Corbett's probe, lost House District 172 in Northeast Philadelphia to Kevin Boyle (D). A week later, House Republicans chose Sam Smith (R) of Jefferson County as their speaker and Mike Turzai (R) of Allegheny County as majority leader.
• All 17 legislative seats that changed party were in the House, and all but two went Republican; 12 incumbents lost. Besides Boyle's win, the other Democratic gain was the open House District 164, which Margo Davidson (D) took from Republicans. Two Democrats fell by fewer than 250 votes: Rick Saccone (R) beat Dave Levdansky (D) by about 150 in House District 39, and Dan Truitt (R) beat Barbara McIlvaine Smith (D) by about 210 in House District 156. Beyond the flips, 3 more House races finished inside two points. No Senate seat changed party, so Republicans kept their 30-20 majority.

Legislature

• House (203 seats): 103 D, 97 R, 3 other or vacant before the election, 91 D, 112 R after; control moved from Democrats to Republicans.
• Senate (50 seats): 20 D, 30 R before the election, 20 D, 30 R after; control stayed with Republicans.

Statewide races

Legislative races