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, this was the last time Philadelphia County voted for the Republican candidate.

Democratic primary

Candidates

Henry Arthur Morris, music store operator from Mahanoy City
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.

Republican primary

Candidates

James H. Duff, Attorney General of Pennsylvania
Carl Mau, newspaper publisher and World War II veteran from Marcus Hook
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.

General election

Candidates

Jim Duff, State Attorney General
* Running mate: Dan Strickler, former State Representative and World War II general
James Killip
John Rice, former President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate
* Running mate: John Dent, President pro tempore of the Pennsylvania Senate
George Taylor

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.