Pennsylvania Elections by Kennedy John J.;

Author:Kennedy, John J.;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 1776243
Publisher: UPA

1978: THORNBURGH/FLAHERTY

After dominating state politics for roughly a decade, surviving two tough primary battles and three general election battles, and serving two terms as governor, along with a failed presidential bid in 1976, Milton Shapp retired from the political scene as the 1978 campaign drew near. The contestants created a rarity in that both were from Allegheny County: District Attorney Richard Thornburgh for the Republicans and former Pittsburgh Mayor Pete Flaherty for the Democrats. Both had survived primary battles in a crowded field that had seven Republicans and four Democrats. On the Republican side, geography became Thornburgh’s biggest ally; topped a field of rivals from the eastern part of the state who ended up splitting their base. They included Arlen Specter, House Republican leader Robert Butera of Montgomery County, and David W. Marston, a federal prosecutor whose dismissal by the Carter Administration had become highly controversial, as well as Senate Minority Leader Henry Hager of Lycoming County. Thornburgh’s running mate was William W. Scranton III, son of the former governor, who in his first attempt at public office defeated five other Republicans, most prominently Faith Ryan Whittlesey, a former state representative who was then the chair of Delaware County’s Board of Commissioners.

On the Democratic side, Robert P. Casey was back, along with Lieutenant Governor Ernie Kline. Although Casey was the favorite, he was hurt by the candidacy of another Robert P. Casey in the lieutenant governor’s contest. That Casey, no relation to the “real” Bob Casey, was a 48-year-old biology teacher from Allegheny County. Apparently, enough voters thought that he was the “real” Bob Casey and that they could get both Flaherty and Casey on the same ticket. While the former auditor general lost by 130,000 votes to Flaherty, the “fake” Bob Casey won the lieutenant governor’s race over a 14-person field. Not surprisingly, that Bob Casey proved to be a liability to the Flaherty campaign in the fall.

The turn of events left the “real” Bob Casey embittered, and reluctant to help the ticket as he had in the past. Refusing to appear at a Lackawanna County dinner, he called Flaherty’s running mate a fraud and said he wouldn’t lift a finger to help Casey’s campaign for lieutenant governor.

Nevertheless, Flaherty began the campaign with a considerable advantage. Soon after his primary victory, some polls showed him leading by more than 30 points. One Gallup Poll had him leading by 12 points a little over one month before the election. But as the campaign drew near, so did Thornburgh. With a little over a week before voting began, a new Gallup Poll indicated that the lead had been reduced to just 4 points. Thornburgh spent much of his time in the Philadelphia area, introducing himself to Republican leaders and voters, the majority of whom had supported Specter in the primary.

Thornburgh successfully courted black voters across the state. He received the endorsements of two newspapers that had predominantly black readership in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh and won the support of three Philadelphia unions

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