2000 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania
2000 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania Turnout 63.0%[ 1]
County Results
Municipality Results
Gore
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
Bush
40–50%
50–60%
60–70%
70–80%
80–90%
90–100%
Tie
The 2000 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania took place on November 7, 2000, and was part of the 2000 United States presidential election . Voters chose 23 representatives, or electors to the Electoral College , who voted for president and vice president .
Pennsylvania was won by Vice President Al Gore by a 4.17% margin of victory. However, voter enthusiasm for both candidates was generally low throughout the campaign. Gore failed to capture Clinton's appeal in strongly Democratic regions such as Pittsburgh and Scranton , and thus carried these areas by a smaller number than his predecessor. However, opposition to George W. Bush was particularly strong in the suburban counties of Philadelphia ; although these areas at the time were typically Republican leaning, they featured a strong culturally liberal bent, and thus Bush was unable to appeal to voters. Bush support was particularly strong in rural, central Pennsylvania, where the Texas Governor appealed to Evangelical voters and where Gore's connection to gun control policies was strongly rejected. Marginal wins in both of the state's metropolitan areas helped the Vice President to capture the state.[ 2] This was the first election since 1968 that the candidate who won Pennsylvania did not win the general election, and only the fourth time that has happened since 1916 . As of the 2020 presidential election [update] , this is the last election in which Greene County , Mercer County , and Lawrence County voted for the Democratic candidate.
Bush became the first Republican ever to win the White House without carrying Delaware County , the first to win the White House without carrying Montgomery County since Rutherford B. Hayes in 1876 , the first to win the White House without carrying Bucks County – which he had lost by precisely the same margin he had lost the state as a whole – since Benjamin Harrison in 1888 , and the first to win the White House without carrying Lehigh County since William McKinley in 1900 .
Pennsylvania was one of ten states that backed George H. W. Bush for president in 1988 that didn't back George W. Bush in either 2000 or 2004.
Primaries
Democratic primary
The Democratic primary was held on April 4. There were 191 delegates at stake, with 160 pledged and 31 unpledged. Vice President Al Gore won 139 pledged and the support of 28 unpledged while U.S. Senator Bill Bradley won 21 pledged.
Candidates
Votes
Percent
Al Gore Jr.
525,306
74.60%
Bill Bradley
146,797
20.85%
Lyndon LaRouche
32,047
4.55%
Totals
704,150
Turnout: 19.38%
Republican primary
The Republican primary was held on April 4. There were 78 delegates at stake, with 68 district delegates being decided in the primary and 10 statewide delegates being decided at the state committee meeting in May. While all delegates were technically unbound, Texas Governor George W. Bush won the support of all 78 delegates.
Candidates
Votes
Percent
George W. Bush
472,008
73.44%
John S. McCain III
145,719
22.67%
Others
24,967
3.88%
Totals
642,694
Turnout: 20.33%
Results
2000 United States presidential election in Pennsylvania[ 3]
Party
Candidate
Votes
Percentage
Electoral votes
Democratic
Al Gore
2,485,967
50.60%
23
Republican
George W. Bush
2,281,127
46.43%
0
Green
Ralph Nader
103,392
2.10%
0
Reform
Pat Buchanan
16,023
0.33%
0
Constitution
Howard Phillips
14,428
0.29%
0
Libertarian
Harry Browne
11,248
0.23%
0
Write-ins
-
934
0.02%
0
Totals
4,913,119
100.00%
23
Voter turnout (Voting age/Registered)
53%/63%
By county
County[ 4]
Al Gore Democratic
George W. Bush Republican
Ralph Nader Green
Pat Buchanan Reform
Howard Phillips Constitution
Harry E. Browne Libertarian
Margin
Total votes cast
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
#
%
Adams
11,682
34.93%
20,848
62.34%
696
2.08%
108
0.32%
27
0.08%
72
0.22%
-9,166
-27.41%
33,444
Allegheny
329,963
56.65%
235,361
40.41%
10,575
1.82%
2,112
0.36%
3,522
0.60%
945
0.16%
94,602
16.24%
582,478
Armstrong
11,127
40.58%
15,508
56.55%
485
1.77%
242
0.88%
31
0.11%
30
0.11%
-4,381
-15.97%
27,423
Beaver
38,925
52.85%
32,491
44.12%
1,450
1.97%
470
0.64%
104
0.14%
153
0.21%
6,434
8.73%
73,649
Bedford
5,474
28.17%
13,598
69.97%
265
1.36%
71
0.37%
8
0.04%
19
0.10%
-8,124
-41.80%
19,435
Berks
59,150
43.72%
71,273
52.68%
3,494
2.58%
439
0.32%
125
0.09%
682
0.50%
-12,123
-8.96%
135,297
Blair
15,774
34.94%
28,376
62.86%
693
1.54%
147
0.33%
76
0.17%
74
0.16%
-12,602
-27.92%
45,140
Bradford
7,911
33.88%
14,660
62.78%
600
2.57%
89
0.38%
22
0.09%
48
0.21%
-6,749
-28.90%
23,352
Bucks
132,914
50.46%
121,927
46.29%
6,294
2.39%
601
0.23%
669
0.25%
1,017
0.39%
10,987
4.17%
263,422
Butler
25,037
35.34%
44,009
62.12%
1,287
1.82%
316
0.45%
50
0.07%
125
0.18%
-18,972
-26.78%
70,849
Cambria
30,308
50.27%
28,001
46.45%
1,369
2.27%
350
0.58%
170
0.28%
88
0.15%
2,307
3.82%
60,286
Cameron
779
34.68%
1,383
61.58%
50
2.23%
26
1.16%
5
0.22%
3
0.13%
-604
-26.90%
2,246
Carbon
10,668
50.14%
9,717
45.67%
574
2.70%
90
0.42%
187
0.88%
41
0.19%
951
4.47%
21,277
Centre
21,409
43.19%
26,172
52.79%
1,623
3.27%
147
0.30%
39
0.08%
148
0.30%
-4,763
-9.60%
49,575
Chester
82,047
43.72%
100,080
53.33%
4,302
2.29%
314
0.17%
103
0.05%
716
0.38%
-18,033
-9.61%
187,676
Clarion
5,605
35.37%
9,796
61.81%
293
1.85%
102
0.64%
16
0.10%
31
0.20%
-4,191
-26.44%
15,849
Clearfield
11,718
38.25%
18,019
58.82%
570
1.86%
233
0.76%
26
0.08%
43
0.14%
-6,301
-20.57%
30,633
Clinton
5,521
46.03%
6,064
50.56%
307
2.56%
43
0.36%
46
0.38%
13
0.11%
-543
-4.53%
11,994
Columbia
8,975
40.96%
12,095
55.20%
663
3.03%
91
0.42%
21
0.10%
49
0.22%
-3,120
-14.24%
21,911
Crawford
13,250
39.76%
18,858
56.58%
854
2.56%
130
0.39%
155
0.47%
74
0.22%
-5,608
-16.82%
33,328
Cumberland
31,053
35.23%
54,802
62.17%
1,749
1.98%
189
0.21%
47
0.05%
222
0.25%
-23,749
-26.94%
88,144
Dauphin
44,390
44.10%
53,631
53.28%
2,059
2.05%
255
0.25%
102
0.10%
221
0.22%
-9,241
-9.18%
100,658
Delaware
134,861
54.36%
105,836
42.66%
5,348
2.16%
587
0.24%
702
0.28%
743
0.30%
29,025
11.70%
248,077
Elk
5,754
42.37%
7,347
54.10%
352
2.59%
90
0.66%
18
0.13%
17
0.13%
-1,593
-11.73%
13,580
Erie
59,399
52.88%
49,027
43.64%
2,980
2.65%
238
0.21%
449
0.40%
242
0.22%
10,372
9.24%
112,335
Fayette
28,152
56.84%
20,013
40.40%
798
1.61%
286
0.58%
225
0.45%
58
0.12%
8,139
16.44%
49,532
Forest
843
36.93%
1,371
60.05%
57
2.50%
9
0.39%
1
0.04%
2
0.09%
-528
-23.12%
2,283
Franklin
14,922
30.44%
33,042
67.41%
761
1.55%
132
0.27%
43
0.09%
69
0.14%
-18,120
-36.97%
49,019
Fulton
1,425
26.96%
3,753
71.01%
77
1.46%
20
0.38%
1
0.02%
9
0.17%
-2,328
-44.05%
5,285
Greene
7,230
52.96%
5,890
43.14%
337
2.47%
120
0.88%
18
0.13%
39
0.29%
1,340
9.82%
13,653
Huntingdon
5,073
31.78%
10,408
65.21%
340
2.13%
103
0.65%
12
0.08%
21
0.13%
-5,335
-33.43%
15,961
Indiana
13,667
43.52%
16,799
53.50%
711
2.26%
161
0.51%
17
0.05%
46
0.15%
-3,132
-9.98%
31,401
Jefferson
5,566
31.65%
11,473
65.24%
339
1.93%
120
0.68%
29
0.17%
47
0.27%
-5,907
-33.59%
17,586
Juniata
2,656
30.64%
5,795
66.86%
158
1.82%
28
0.32%
9
0.10%
21
0.24%
-3,139
-36.22%
8,667
Lackawanna
57,471
59.63%
35,096
36.41%
2,134
2.21%
264
0.27%
1,341
1.39%
75
0.08%
22,375
23.22%
96,381
Lancaster
54,968
31.34%
115,900
66.09%
3,341
1.91%
389
0.22%
379
0.22%
340
0.19%
-60,932
-34.75%
175,367
Lawrence
20,593
51.95%
18,060
45.56%
653
1.65%
257
0.65%
27
0.07%
50
0.13%
2,533
6.39%
39,640
Lebanon
16,093
35.06%
28,534
62.17%
873
1.90%
135
0.29%
143
0.31%
102
0.22%
-12,441
-27.11%
45,897
Lehigh
56,667
48.72%
55,492
47.71%
3,278
2.82%
307
0.26%
214
0.18%
322
0.28%
1,175
1.01%
116,307
Luzerne
62,199
52.01%
52,328
43.76%
3,456
2.89%
474
0.40%
981
0.82%
148
0.12%
9,871
8.25%
119,586
Lycoming
14,663
33.95%
27,137
62.83%
965
2.23%
139
0.32%
217
0.50%
62
0.14%
-12,474
-28.88%
43,193
McKean
5,510
34.86%
9,661
61.12%
403
2.55%
64
0.40%
129
0.82%
37
0.23%
-4,151
-26.26%
15,806
Mercer
23,817
48.87%
23,132
47.47%
1,073
2.20%
285
0.58%
348
0.71%
70
0.14%
685
1.40%
48,732
Mifflin
4,835
33.08%
9,400
64.32%
264
1.81%
41
0.28%
49
0.34%
25
0.17%
-4,565
-31.24%
14,614
Monroe
21,939
46.80%
23,265
49.63%
1,319
2.81%
123
0.26%
116
0.25%
116
0.25%
-1,326
-2.83%
46,878
Montgomery
177,990
53.54%
145,623
43.81%
6,816
2.05%
562
0.17%
200
0.06%
1,231
0.37%
32,367
9.73%
332,422
Montour
2,356
36.27%
3,960
60.97%
132
2.03%
26
0.40%
8
0.12%
10
0.15%
-1,604
-24.70%
6,495
Northampton
53,097
50.72%
47,396
45.27%
3,012
2.88%
324
0.31%
592
0.57%
269
0.26%
5,701
5.45%
104,690
Northumberland
13,670
41.11%
18,142
54.56%
956
2.88%
329
0.99%
109
0.33%
45
0.14%
-4,472
-13.45%
33,254
Perry
4,459
27.73%
11,184
69.56%
309
1.92%
65
0.40%
15
0.09%
39
0.24%
-6,725
-41.83%
16,079
Philadelphia
449,182
80.04%
100,959
17.99%
8,206
1.46%
822
0.15%
1,032
0.18%
979
0.17%
348,223
62.05%
561,180
Pike
7,330
42.21%
9,339
53.78%
498
2.87%
57
0.33%
99
0.57%
41
0.24%
-2,009
-11.57%
17,364
Potter
2,037
28.71%
4,858
68.48%
146
2.06%
24
0.34%
7
0.10%
18
0.25%
-2,821
-39.77%
7,094
Schuylkill
26,215
44.97%
29,841
51.19%
1,713
2.94%
399
0.68%
40
0.07%
92
0.16%
-3,626
-6.22%
58,300
Snyder
3,536
27.54%
8,963
69.80%
271
2.11%
46
0.36%
10
0.08%
15
0.12%
-5,427
-42.26%
12,841
Somerset
12,028
36.47%
20,218
61.29%
487
1.48%
181
0.55%
24
0.07%
47
0.14%
-8,190
-24.82%
32,985
Sullivan
1,066
34.33%
1,928
62.09%
91
2.93%
10
0.32%
4
0.13%
6
0.19%
-862
-27.76%
3,105
Susquehanna
6,481
37.53%
10,226
59.21%
459
2.66%
61
0.35%
12
0.07%
32
0.19%
-3,745
-21.68%
17,271
Tioga
4,617
31.26%
9,635
65.22%
404
2.73%
52
0.35%
24
0.16%
40
0.27%
-5,018
-33.96%
14,772
Union
4,209
31.95%
8,523
64.69%
373
2.83%
33
0.25%
17
0.13%
20
0.15%
-4,314
-32.74%
13,175
Venango
8,196
39.90%
11,642
56.68%
467
2.28%
121
0.59%
55
0.27%
42
0.20%
-3,446
-16.78%
20,541
Warren
7,537
42.94%
9,290
52.93%
466
2.66%
87
0.50%
129
0.74%
32
0.18%
-1,753
-9.99%
17,552
Washington
44,961
53.25%
37,339
44.22%
1,442
1.71%
528
0.63%
60
0.07%
111
0.13%
7,622
9.03%
84,441
Wayne
6,904
36.50%
11,201
59.21%
625
3.30%
88
0.47%
63
0.33%
33
0.17%
-4,297
-22.71%
18,916
Westmoreland
71,792
45.81%
80,858
51.60%
2,601
1.66%
908
0.58%
323
0.21%
227
0.14%
-9,066
-5.79%
156,709
Wyoming
4,363
37.26%
6,922
59.12%
344
2.94%
32
0.27%
6
0.05%
26
0.22%
-2,559
-21.86%
11,709
York
51,958
36.01%
87,652
60.75%
3,305
2.29%
331
0.23%
580
0.40%
418
0.29%
-35,694
-24.74%
144,286
Totals
2,485,967
50.60%
2,281,127
46.43%
103,392
2.10%
16,023
0.33%
14,428
0.29%
11,248
0.23%
204,840
4.17%
4,913,119
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
By congressional district
Gore won 11 of 21 congressional districts. Gore won three that elected Republicans while Bush won two that elected Democrats.[ 5]
Electors
The electors of each state and the District of Columbia met on December 18, 2000[ 6] to cast their votes for president and vice president. The Electoral College itself never meets as one body. Instead the electors from each state and the District of Columbia met in their respective capitols.
The following were the members of the Electoral College from the state. All were pledged to and voted for Al Gore and Joe Lieberman:[ 7]
Kathy Black
Richard W. Bloomingdale
Robert P. Casey Jr.
Nelson Diaz
William M. George
Ken Jarin
James J. Johnston
Edward Keller
Robert Mellow
Thomas J. Murphy Jr.
Elsa Favila
Robert O'Connor
Lazar M. Palnick
Stephen R. Reed
T. J. Rooney
Joyce Savocchio
John F. Street
Patsy J. Tallarico
Christine M. Tartaglione
Margaret M. Tartaglione
Marian Tasco
Sala Udin
Anna Verna
See also
References