1998 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania
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The 1998 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held November 3, 1998. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Arlen Specter won re-election to a fourth term.
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November 3, 1998
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   Specter: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Lloyd: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90% Tie: 30–40% 40–50% No data | |||||||||||||||||
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General election
Candidates
- Jack Iannantuono (Libertarian)
- William R. Lloyd Jr., State Representative[1] (from Somerset County)
- Dean Snyder (Constitution)
- Arlen Specter, incumbent U.S. Senator (from Philadelphia)
Campaign
Leading up to this campaign, the state Democratic Party faced difficulty, as it was plagued by prior corruption allegations of several key legislators and by a lack of fund-raising. Just as in the accompanying gubernatorial race, the party had difficulty in finding a credible candidate. State Representative Bill Lloyd, who was a well-respected party leader but who had little statewide name recognition, was considered by Democratic party leaders[2] to be a sacrificial lamb candidate. Specter ran a straightforward campaign and attempted to avoid mistakes, while Lloyd's bid was so underfunded that he was unable to air a single commercial until two weeks before the election. Lloyd's strategy was to portray Republicans as hyper-partisan in wake of their attempt to impeach President Bill Clinton, but he was unable to gain any traction with his message. On Election Day, Specter's win was by the second-largest margin in the history of Senate elections in Pennsylvania. Lloyd won only two counties: almost uniformly Democratic Philadelphia and his home county, rural and typically Republican Somerset County.[3] As of 2022, this is the last time Allegheny County voted for a Republican Senate candidate.
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size[a] |
Margin of error |
Arlen Specter (R) |
William Lloyd Jr. (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mason Dixon[4] | October 25–27, 1998 | 807 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 57% | 34% | 9% |
| Mason Dixon[4] | October 3–6, 1998 | 801 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 55% | 31% | 14% |
| Millersville University[4][A] | September 25–29, 1998 | 629 (A) | ± 4.6% | 52% | 27% | 11% |
| Mason Dixon[4] | September 14–16, 1998 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 58% | 27% | 15% |
| Mason Dixon[4] | August 2–4, 1998 | 806 (LV) | ± 3.5% | 57% | 25% | 18% |
| Millersville University[4] | July 8–28, 1998 | 451 (RV) | ± 4.6% | 56% | 26% | 18% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Arlen Specter (incumbent) | 1,814,180 | 61.34% | |
| Democratic | William R. Lloyd Jr. | 1,028,839 | 34.79% | |
| Constitution | Dean Snyder | 68,377 | 2.31% | |
| Libertarian | Jack Iannantuono | 46,103 | 1.56% | |
| Republican hold | ||||
See also
Notes
- Key:
A – all adults
RV – registered voters
LV – likely voters
V – unclear
- Partisan clients
- Poll sponsored by KYW-TV3, the Philadelphia Daily News, & the Harrisburg Patriot