United States Senate election in Pennsylvania, 1976
Encyclopedia
The 1976 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Republican
Senator Hugh Scott
, then Minority Leader
of the Senate, did not seek re-election. Then-U.S. Rep.
H. John Heinz III
of Pittsburgh won election to the seat, defeating Democratic
opponent William J. Green, III
of Philadelphia.
announced that he would not seek re-election in 1976 at the age of 75 after serving in Congress for 33 years. Scott listed personal reasons and several "well-qualified potential candidates" for the seat among the reasons of his decision to retire. Other reasons, including his support for Richard Nixon
and accusations that he had illegally obtained contributions from Gulf Oil
were alleged to have contributed to the decision.
of Philadelphia. William Green, III defeated Jeanette Reibman for the Democratic nomination. Other candidates in each primary included: George Packard, C. Homer Brown, Mary Foltz and Francis Worley in the Republican primary and several other minor candidates in the Democratic primary.
Republican Party (United States)
The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
Senator Hugh Scott
Hugh Scott
Hugh Doggett Scott, Jr. was a politician from Pennsylvania who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and who also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.- Early life :He was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on November 11, 1900...
, then Minority Leader
Party leaders of the United States Senate
The Senate Majority and Minority Leaders are two United States Senators who are elected by the party conferences that hold the majority and the minority respectively. These leaders serve as the chief Senate spokespeople for their parties and manage and schedule the legislative and executive...
of the Senate, did not seek re-election. Then-U.S. Rep.
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
H. John Heinz III
H. John Heinz III
Henry John Heinz III was an American politician from Pennsylvania, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate .-Early life:...
of Pittsburgh won election to the seat, defeating Democratic
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
opponent William J. Green, III
William J. Green, III
William Joseph Green, III is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Green also served as the 94th Mayor of Philadelphia.-Youth:...
of Philadelphia.
Democratic
- William J. Green, IIIWilliam J. Green, IIIWilliam Joseph Green, III is a former member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania. Green also served as the 94th Mayor of Philadelphia.-Youth:...
, United States Representative. Green is the son of former congressman William J. Green, Jr.William J. Green, Jr.William Joseph Green, Jr. was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.William J. Green was born in Philadelphia, PA. He graduated from St. Joseph’s Preparatory School, and attended St. Joseph’s College, Philadelphia, PA. He was engaged in business as an...
and served in the House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from 1964 until running for the Senate. - Jeanette ReibmanJeanette ReibmanJeanette F. Reibman is a former Democratic member of the Pennsylvania State Senate. She also served in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives.-References:http://www.lafayette.edu/news.php/view/8440...
, member of the Pennsylvania State SenatePennsylvania State SenateThe Pennsylvania State Senate has been meeting since 1791. It is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered every two years such...
.
Republican
- H. John Heinz IIIH. John Heinz IIIHenry John Heinz III was an American politician from Pennsylvania, a Republican member of the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate .-Early life:...
, United States Representative. Heinz served in the U.S. House from 1971 until being elected to the United States Senate. - Arlen SpecterArlen SpecterArlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
, former District Attorney of Philadelphia. Specter served on the Warren CommissionWarren CommissionThe President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established on November 27, 1963, by Lyndon B. Johnson to investigate the assassination of United States President John F. Kennedy on November 22, 1963...
, participating in the investigation of the assassination of John F. KennedyJohn F. KennedyJohn Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
. He served as District Attorney in Philadelphia from 1966 to 1974, when he returned to practicing law.
Campaign highlights
In December 1975, then-senator Hugh ScottHugh Scott
Hugh Doggett Scott, Jr. was a politician from Pennsylvania who served in both the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate, and who also served as Chairman of the Republican National Committee.- Early life :He was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia, on November 11, 1900...
announced that he would not seek re-election in 1976 at the age of 75 after serving in Congress for 33 years. Scott listed personal reasons and several "well-qualified potential candidates" for the seat among the reasons of his decision to retire. Other reasons, including his support for Richard Nixon
Richard Nixon
Richard Milhous Nixon was the 37th President of the United States, serving from 1969 to 1974. The only president to resign the office, Nixon had previously served as a US representative and senator from California and as the 36th Vice President of the United States from 1953 to 1961 under...
and accusations that he had illegally obtained contributions from Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil
Gulf Oil was a major global oil company from the 1900s to the 1980s. The eighth-largest American manufacturing company in 1941 and the ninth-largest in 1979, Gulf Oil was one of the so-called Seven Sisters oil companies...
were alleged to have contributed to the decision.
Primaries
H. John Heinz III won the Republican nomination in April 1976, defeating Arlen SpecterArlen Specter
Arlen Specter is a former United States Senator from Pennsylvania. Specter is a Democrat, but was a Republican from 1965 until switching to the Democratic Party in 2009...
of Philadelphia. William Green, III defeated Jeanette Reibman for the Democratic nomination. Other candidates in each primary included: George Packard, C. Homer Brown, Mary Foltz and Francis Worley in the Republican primary and several other minor candidates in the Democratic primary.