1946 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

The 1946 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 5, 1946. Republican Party nominee James H. Duff defeated Democratic Party nominee John S. Rice to become Governor of Pennsylvania. As of 2024, this was the last time Philadelphia County voted for the Republican candidate.

1946 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election

November 5, 1946 (1946-11-05)

Nominee Jim Duff John Rice Party Republican Democratic Running mate Dan Strickler John Dent Popular vote 1,828,462 1,270,947 Percentage 58.53% 40.68%

County results Duff:      50-60%      60-70%      70-80%      80-90% Rice:      40–50%      50–60%

Governor before election John Bell Republican Elected Governor Jim Duff Republican

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Henry Morris
• John S. Rice, former state senator from Gettysburg

The endorsed candidates for Democratic Party won by a large margin, with Rice winning by a three-quarters of the vote over Mahanoy City businessman Henry Morris.

Results

Democratic primary results

  Rice

•   50%-60%
•   60%-70%
•   70%-80%
•   80%-90%
•   90%-100%

  Morris

•   50%-60%

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Democratic primary election, 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	John Rice	279,503	72.25
	Democratic	Henry Morris	107,338	27.75
Total votes			386,841	100.00

Republican primary

Candidates

• James H. Duff, Attorney General of Pennsylvania
• Carl Mau
• John Shroyer, Secretary of Highways

The endorsed candidate for the Republican Party won by a large margin, with Duff earning over three-quarters of the vote against outgoing Secretary of Highways John Shroyer of Shamokin.

Results

Republican primary results

  Duff

•   50%-60%
•   60%-70%
•   70%-80%
•   80%-90%
•   90%-100%

  Shroyer

•   50%-60%
•   70%-80%

Pennsylvania gubernatorial Republican primary election, 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Duff	725,567	77.01
	Republican	John Shroyer	182,256	19.34
	Republican	Carl Mau	34,367	3.65
Total votes			942,199	100.00

General election

Candidates

• Jim Duff, State Attorney General (from Allegheny County) (Republican)
  • Running mate: Dan Strickler, former State Representative and World War II general (from Lancaster County)
• James Killip (Prohibition)
• John Rice, former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate (from Adams County) (Democratic)
  • Running mate: John Dent, President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate (from Westmoreland County)
• George Taylor (Socialist Labor)

Campaign

A close confidant of popular outgoing Governor Ed Martin, who was running for a US Senate seat, Duff was the clear favorite throughout the campaign. Duff ran as a moderate progressive but also as a hardline anti-communist. He promised to address the key topic of labor strife by limiting strikes and cracking down on union criminal activity while concurrently increasing the minimum wage. Duff also vowed to spur innovation amongst the state's fragmented local governments.[1]

Results

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1946

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Jim Duff	1,828,462	58.52
	Democratic	John S. Rice	1,270,947	40.68
	Prohibition	James Killip	13,833	0.44
	Socialist Labor	George Taylor	10,747	0.34
Total votes			3,099,409	100.00