The 2000 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 2000. Republican incumbent Rick Santorum was re-elected to a second term in office over Democratic congressman Ron Klink.
Pennsylvania was considered a swing state in the concurrent United States presidential election. It was ultimately one of four states that elected Republican senators despite being voting for Democratic presidential nominee Al Gore, along with the New England states of Maine, Rhode Island and Vermont. Republicans would not win the Class 1 Senate seat from Pennsylvania again until 2024.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Phil Berg
- Tom Foley, former Pennsylvania labor secretary and 1994 lieutenant governor nominee
- Ron Klink, U.S. representative from Murrysville
- Murray Levin
- Robert A. Rovner, former Republican state senator from Philadelphia
- Allyson Schwartz, state senator from Northeast Philadelphia
Campaign
Klink portrayed himself as the only candidate who could defeat Santorum.
General election
Candidates
- Robert Domske (Reform)
- John Featherman (Libertarian)
- Ron Klink, U.S. representative from Murrysville (Democratic)
- Rick Santorum, incumbent U.S. senator since 1995 (Republican)
- Lester Searer (Constitution)
Campaign
Santorum had gained a reputation as a polarizing figure during his first term in the Senate, and had lost the support of more moderate members of his own party by 1999, but entered the race with a large fundraising advantage and high levels of support from the political right. Klink was viewed as a viable choice because he was a traditional Democrat on most issues and had strong union ties but also was opposed to abortion rights, which Democrats hoped would return votes to their party in the heavily Catholic but economically liberal coal regions of the state. The campaign turned increasingly negative as both candidates publicly questioned each other's integrity.
Enthusiasm around Klink's campaign then waned as liberal Democrats balked at donating to a candidate who was almost as socially conservative as Santorum. This was especially true in Philadelphia, where Klink was all but unknown. Klink was also badly outspent, leaving him unable to expand his presence in the state; he did not run a single advertisement on Philadelphia television stations. Ultimately, Klink only carried eight counties as Santorum, who had achieved nationwide prominence for taking positions against abortion and LGBT rights in the United States, was ultimately able to secure victory.
Results
Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican
- Cambria (largest municipality: Johnstown)
- Clinton (largest city: Lock Haven)
- Luzerne (largest municipality: Wilkes-Barre)