The 2014 Pennsylvania gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the governor and lieutenant governor of Pennsylvania, concurrently with elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.

Incumbent Governor Tom Corbett was defeated by Tom Wolf. This was the only governorship Democrats flipped in the 2014 midterms. Wolf was sworn in on January 20, 2015, marking the most recent time the Pennsylvania governor's office changed partisan control. This was one of nine Republican-held governorships up for election in a state that Barack Obama won in the 2012 presidential election. As of 2025, this is the only Pennsylvania gubernatorial election since 1854 where the incumbent was defeated, and the last Pennsylvania gubernatorial election where Cumberland County voted Republican.

Corbett was considered vulnerable, as reflected in his low approval ratings. An August 2013 Franklin & Marshall College poll found that only 17% of voters thought Corbett was doing an "excellent" or "good" job, only 20% thought he deserved to be reelected, and 62% said the state was "off on the wrong track". Politico called Corbett the most vulnerable incumbent governor in the country, The Washington Post ranked the election as the most likely for a party switch, and the majority of election forecasters rated it "likely Democratic".

Wolf in 2014 managed to outperform Barack Obama and Bob Casey Jr.’s performances in the 2012 presidential and U.S. Senate races, respectively. He also won 20 counties that Corbett won in 2010: Erie, Lawrence, Beaver, Allegheny, Greene, Fayette, Cambria, Centre, Clinton, Northumberland, Dauphin, Luzerne, Monroe, Northampton, Carbon, Schuylkill, Lehigh, Berks, Bucks, and Chester. Meanwhile, this is the last time these counties have voted Democratic in a statewide election: Lawrence, Greene, Fayette, Cambria, Clinton, Northumberland, Carbon, and Schuylkill.

This is the first Pennsylvania gubernatorial election since 1982 in which the winner was of the same party as the incumbent president, and the first time since 1934 this occurred during a Democratic administration. This also remains the last time that a Pennsylvania gubernatorial election has been decided by a single-digit margin, as Democrats have won each subsequent election with more than 56% of the vote. 2014 is also the most recent election where Pennsylvania voted for a gubernatorial candidate of a different party from fellow Rust Belt states Michigan and Wisconsin.

Background Democrats and Republicans have alternated in the governorship of Pennsylvania every eight years from 1950 to 2010. This has been referred to as "the cycle", but it was broken with a Democratic Party win in 2014. Pennsylvania has also voted against the party of the sitting president in 18 of the last 19 gubernatorial contests dating back to 1938; Democrats lost 16 of the previous 17 Pennsylvania gubernatorial races with a Democratic president in the White House, a pattern begun in 1860. The last incumbent governor to be defeated for re-election was Democrat William Bigler in 1854. Until 1968, governors could only serve one term; the state constitution now allows governors to serve two consecutive terms.Pennsylvania Constitution article IV, § 3. Libertarian nominee Ken Krawchuk failed to file the paperwork to be on the ballot in time and was excluded from the election as a result.

Republican primary Incumbent Tom Corbett filed to run, as did Bob Guzzardi, an attorney and conservative activist. However, Guzzardi failed to file a statement of financial interests as required by law, after being told by an employee of the State Department that it was unnecessary. Four Republicans, backed by the state Republican Party, sued to have him removed from the race. The case reached the state Supreme Court, which ordered that Guzzardi's name be struck from the ballot. NASCAR Camping World Truck Series veteran Norm Benning backed Governor Corbett during the later half of the NASCAR season with "Re-Elect Tom Corbett" posted on his truck.

Candidates Declared Tom Corbett, incumbent governor of Pennsylvania

Disqualified Bob Guzzardi, attorney, businessman and conservative activist

Declined Bruce Castor, Montgomery County Commissioner Jim Gerlach, U.S. Representative and candidate for governor in 2010 Tom Smith, businessman and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2012 Pat Toomey, U.S. Senator

Endorsements

Polling

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror TomCorbett BobGuzzardi UndecidedGravis MarketingGravis Marketing January 22, 2014 956 ± ? 42% 23% 35%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror TomCorbett Someoneelse UndecidedGravis Marketing January 22, 2014 956 ± ? 38% 41% 22%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 491 ± 4.4% 42% 47% 11%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling March 8–10, 2013 373 ± 5.1% 37% 49% 13%Public Policy PollingPublic Policy Polling January 4–6, 2013 490 ± 6% 45% 37% 17%

Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror TomCorbett BruceCastor JimGerlach MikeKelly TomSmith UndecidedPublic Policy Polling November 22–25, 2013 491 ± 4.4% 42% — 31% — — 26% 42% — — 31% — 27%Public Policy Polling March 8–10, 2013 373 ± 5.1% 43% 23% — — — 35% 37% — — — 33% 30%Harper PollingHarper Polling February 27–28, 2013 ± 49.04% 21.07% — — — 29.89%Public Policy Polling January 4–6, 2013 490 ± 6% 51% 11% — — — 38%

Results

Democratic primary Candidates Declared Rob McCord, Pennsylvania Treasurer Katie McGinty, former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Allyson Schwartz, U.S. Representative Tom Wolf, businessman and former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

Withdrew John Hanger, former Secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection Jo Ellen Litz, Lebanon County Commissioner (failed to qualify) Max Myers, businessman and former pastor Ed Pawlowski, Mayor of Allentown Jack Wagner, former Pennsylvania Auditor General, candidate for governor in 2010 and candidate for Mayor of Pittsburgh in 2013

Declined Bob Casey Jr., U.S. Senator Scott Conklin, state representative and nominee for lieutenant governor in 2010 Kathy Dahlkemper, former U.S. Representative Eugene DePasquale, Pennsylvania Auditor General Kathleen Kane, Pennsylvania Attorney General Tom Knox, businessman, candidate for Mayor of Philadelphia in 2007 and candidate for governor in 2010 Daylin Leach, state senator (running for Congress) Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Representative Michael Nutter, Mayor of Philadelphia Ed Rendell, former governor Joe Sestak, former U.S. Representative and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010 Josh Shapiro, chairman of the Montgomery County Board of Commissioners Tim Solobay, state senator Michael J. Stack III, state senator (running for lieutenant governor)

Endorsements

Polling Poll source Date(s)administered Samplesize Margin oferror JohnHanger TomKnox Jo EllenLitz RobertMcCord KathleenMcGinty MaxMyers EdPawl-owski AllysonSchwartz JoeSestak TimSolobay MikeStack JackWagner TomWolf Other Unde-cidedMuhlenberg May 13–15, 2014 414 ±5% — — — 11% 7% — — 16% — — — — 41% — 25%HarperHarper May 12–13, 2014 559 ±4.14% — — — 15% 5% — — 15% — — — — 50% — 16%F&M CollegeF&M College May 6–12, 2014 530 ±4.3% — — — 11% 6% — — 19% — — — — 41% 3% 20%Muhlenberg April 28–30, 2014 417 ±5% — — — 13% 3% — — 14% — — — — 42% — 28%GQR**GQR** Mar. 31–Apr. 3, 2014 600 ±? — — — 14% 5% — — 12% — — — — 52% — 16%F&M College March 25–31, 2014 524 ±4.3% — — — 8% 6% — — 9% — — — — 40% 6% 31%HarperHarper Feb. 22–23, 2014 501 ±4.38% 7% — — 8% 6% — — 14% — — — 7% 40% — 19%F&M CollegeF&M College Feb. 18–23, 2014 548 ±4.2% 1% — — 3% 1% — — 9% — — — — 36% 1% 48%PPPPPP Nov. 22–25, 2013 436 ±4.7% 8% — 2% 10% 9% 2% 4% 21% — — — 17% 2% — 27%HarperHarper Nov. 9–10, 2013 649 ±3.85% 7% — — 12% 15% — 6% 22% — — — — 5% — 34%GHY^GHY^ Aug. 27–29, 2013 506 ± 4.4% — — — 6% 6% — — 25% — — — — 6% — 57%BSG*BSG* July 16–18, 2013 800 ±3.46% — — — 10% 15% — — 34% — — — — 11% — 30%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac May 30–Jun. 4, 2013 460 ± 4.6% 1% — — 4% 5% 1% 1% 18% — — 1% — 2% 1% 63%QuinnipiacQuinnipiac April 19–24, 2013 547 ± 4.2% 0% — — 3% — — 1% 15% 15% — 1% — 3% 2% 60%GSGGSG March 9–12, 2013 601 ± 4% 1% — — 5% 5% — 3% 18% 15% 3% 1% — 2% — 47% 1% — — 7% 7% — 3% 21% — 3% 2% — 2% — 54% — — — 12% — — — 31% — — — — 7% — 49%GQR**GQR** March 2–7, 2013 602 ±3.99% 1% 1% — 7% 3% — — 16% 21% — 2% — 3% 1% 45%HarperHarper Feb. 27–28, 2013 ? ±? 0.82% 2.88% — 7% — — — 18.52% 19.75% — — — 1.23% — 49.79% ** Internal poll for the Tom Wolf campaign ^ Internal poll for the Kathleen McGinty campaign * Internal poll for the Allyson Schwartz campaign

Results

General election

Candidates Tom Corbett (R), incumbent governor Paul Glover (G), activist Jonathan D. Jewell (I), Independent Ken Krawchuk (L), technology consultant and nominee for governor in 1998 and 2002 Tom Wolf (D), former secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Revenue

Debates Complete video of debate, September 22, 2014 Complete video of debate, October 8, 2014

Spending As of mid-October, Wolf had raised $27.6 million and spent $21.1 million while Corbett had raised $20.6 million and spent $19.3 million. The two campaigns had run over 21,000 television ads, costing over $13 million.

Predictions Source Ranking As of The Cook Political Report November 3, 2014 Sabato's Crystal Ball November 3, 2014 Rothenberg Political Report November 3, 2014 Real Clear Politics November 3, 2014

Polling