2012 Pennsylvania Attorney General election

← 2008

November 6, 2012

2016 →


Nominee	Kathleen Kane	David Freed
Party	Democratic	Republican
Popular vote	3,125,557	2,313,506
Percentage	56.1%	41.6%

Kane: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% >90%
Freed:
40–50% 50–60% 60–70%

Attorney General before election

Linda L. Kelly
Republican

Elected Attorney General

Kathleen Kane
Democratic

Federal government

U.S. President
1789 1792 1796 1800 1804 1808 1812 1816 1820 1824 1828 1832 1836 1840 1844 1848 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Presidential primaries
Democratic 2000 2004 2008 2016 2020 2024 Republican 2008 2016 2020 2024
U.S. Senate
1788 1791 1793 sp 1794 sp 1795 1796 1797 1801 1801 sp 1802 1806 1808 1808 sp 1809 sp 1812 1814 1814 sp 1818 1820 1824 1826 1830 1831 sp 1832 1834 sp 1836 1840 sp 1843 1845 1845 sp 1849 1851 1856 1857 1861 1861 sp 1863 1867 1869 1873 1875 1877 sp 1879 1881 1885 1887 1891 1893 1897 1899 1901 sp 1903 1905 1905 sp 1908 1909 1909 sp 1911 1914 1916 1920 1922 1922 sp 1926 1928 1930 sp 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1950 1952 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1991 sp 1992 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2024 2028
U.S. House of Representatives
1788 1791 1792 1794 1796 5th sp 1797 5th sp 1798 1st sp 4th sp 1800 8th sp 1801 4th sp 8th sp 12th sp 1802 1804 10th sp 1805 4th sp 11th sp 1806 1st sp 1808 1st sp 1809 1st sp 1810 1812 1813 3rd sp 5th sp 7th sp 13th sp 15th sp 1814 2nd sp 3rd sp 1815 1st sp 3rd sp 9th sp 1816 9th sp 1817 10th sp 1818 4th sp 6th sp 1820 5th sp 7th sp 1821 5th sp 10th sp 1822 1st sp 6th sp 7th sp 14th sp 1824 8th sp 13th sp 1825 16th sp 1826 2nd sp 7th sp 13th sp 18th sp 1827 2nd sp 1828 1829 8th sp 16th sp 1830 1831 11th sp 1832 1833 1st sp 1834 1836 13th sp 24th sp 1837 3rd sp 1838 9th sp 1839 14th sp 1840 13th sp 22nd sp 1841 2nd sp 13th sp 20th sp 18th sp Jun Dec 1842 17th sp 21st sp 1843 1844 12th sp 13th sp 21st sp 1846 1848 6th sp 1850 11th sp 15th sp 1852 1854 8th sp 1856 1857 12th sp 1858 8th sp 1860 8th sp 1861 2nd sp 12th sp 1862 7th sp 1864 1866 1867 12th sp 1868 9th sp 20th sp 1870 1872 13th sp 1874 23rd sp 1876 12th sp 1878 1880 1882 1884 19th sp 1885 19th sp 1886 1888 1890 3rd sp 4th sp 1892 1893 2nd sp 8th sp 1894 at-large sp 1895 15th sp 1896 1897 25th sp 1898 23rd sp 1899 9th sp 1900 5th sp 1901 10th sp 1902 17th sp 1903 4th sp 1904 3rd sp 1906 2nd sp 3rd sp 12th sp 1907 2nd sp 1908 1910 1911 2nd sp 14th sp 1912 1st sp 1914 1916 1917 28th sp 1918 1919 22nd sp 1920 3rd sp 1921 at-large sp 1922 1924 1926 1927 1st sp 1928 8th sp 1929 12th sp 1930 1931 2nd sp 1932 6th sp 18th sp 20th sp 1933 9th sp 1934 1936 1937 18th sp 1938 1939 4th sp 1940 1941 15th sp 1942 11th sp 12th sp 33rd sp 1943 2nd sp 23rd sp 1944 2nd sp 17th sp 1946 10th sp 23rd sp 33rd sp 1947 8th sp 1948 1949 22nd sp 26th sp 1950 1951 8th sp 14th sp 33rd sp 1952 1954 1956 2nd sp 30th sp 1957 13th sp 1958 4th sp 21st sp 1960 17th sp 18th sp 1961 16th sp 1962 1963 15th sp 23rd sp 1964 5th sp 1966 1968 1970 9th sp 1971 18th sp 1972 27th sp 1974 12th sp 1976 1st sp 1978 1980 11th sp 12th sp 1981 3rd sp 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1991 2nd sp 1992 1994 1996 1998 1st sp 2000 2001 9th sp 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 12th sp 2012 2014 2016 2nd sp 2018 7th sp 15th sp 18th sp 2019 12th sp 2020 2022 2024

State government

Governor
1790 1793 1796 1799 1802 1805 1808 1811 1814 1817 1820 1823 1826 1829 1832 1835 1838 1841 1844 1847 1848 1851 1854 1857 1860 1863 1866 1869 1872 1875 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026
Lieutenant Governor
1874 1878 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022
Attorney General
1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
Auditor General
2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
State Treasurer
2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
State Senate
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024
State House of Representatives
2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024

Philadelphia

Mayoral elections
1839 1840 1841 1842 1843 1844 1845 1846 1847 1848 1849 1850 1851 1852 1853 1854 1856 1858 1860 1862 1865 1868 1871 1874 1877 1881 1884 1887 1891 1895 1899 1903 1907 1911 1915 1919 1923 1927 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2019 2023
City Council elections
2015 2019 2022–23 sp. 2023
Other municipal elections
1951 1953 1955 1957 1959 1961 2023

The Pennsylvania Attorney General election of 2012 was held on November 6, 2012. The primary election was held on April 24.^[1]^[2]

Republican primary

Candidates

Nominee

David Freed, Cumberland County district attorney^[3]

Withdrew

John Rafferty, state senator^[4]^[5]

Declined

Linda Kelly, incumbent Attorney General^[6]

Results

Republican primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	David J. Freed	659,077	100.0%
Total votes			659,077	100.0%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Nominee

Kathleen Kane, prosecutor, former Lackawanna County assistant district attorney^[8]

Eliminated in primary

Patrick Murphy, former U.S. Representative (2007–2011)^[9]

Withdrew

Dan McCaffery, former Philadelphia assistant district attorney^[10]^[11]

Declined

Lynne Abraham, former Philadelphia district attorney (1991–2010)^[12]

Results

Democratic primary results^[7]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Kathleen Kane	375,500	52.82%
	Democratic	Patrick Murphy	335,438	47.18%
Total votes			710,938	100.0%

General election

Results

2012 Pennsylvania Attorney General election^[13]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Kathleen Kane	3,125,557	56.14%	+10.44%
	Republican	David Freed	2,313,506	41.56%	−10.82%
	Libertarian	Marakay Rogers	128,140	2.30%	+0.38%
Total votes			5,567,203	100.0%
	Democratic gain from Republican

By congressional district

Kane won 13 of the 18 congressional districts, including eight that elected Republicans.^[14]

District	Kane	Freed	Representative
1st	83%	16%	Bob Brady
2nd	90%	9%	Chaka Fattah
3rd	48%	49%	Mike Kelly
4th	45%	52%	Jason Altmire
4th	45%	52%	Scott Perry
5th	47.8%	48.4%	Glenn Thompson
6th	50%	47%	Jim Gerlach
7th	50%	49%	Pat Meehan
8th	51%	47%	Mike Fitzpatrick
9th	46%	51%	Bill Shuster
10th	45%	53%	Tom Marino
11th	50%	48%	Lou Barletta
12th	50%	47%	Mark Critz
12th	50%	47%	Keith Rothfus
13th	68%	31%	Allyson Schwartz
14th	72%	25%	Mike Doyle
15th	52%	46%	Charlie Dent
16th	49.0%	48.7%	Joe Pitts
17th	62%	36%	Tim Holden
17th	62%	36%	Matt Cartwright
18th	49%	48%	Tim Murphy

References

^ "2012 General Primary - Attorney General". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
^ "2012 General Election - Attorney General". Pennsylvania Department of State. Retrieved November 20, 2012.
^ "Cumberland County District Attorney David Freed runs alone for Republican attorney general nod". The Patriot-News. January 12, 2012.
^ "Website: Sen. Rafferty to run for state Attorney General". The Mercury. August 31, 2011.
^ "Without Corbett's Endorsement, John Rafferty Ends Run For Attorney General". CBS News Philadelphia. January 12, 2012.
^ McLane, Lauren (December 6, 2011). "DA David Freed announces run for state attorney general". The Sentinel. Archived from the original on December 7, 2023.
^ ^a ^b "2012 General Primary - Official Returns". Pennsylvania Department of State.
^ Snyder, Sy (March 29, 2011). "PoliticsPA Exclusive: Kathleen Granahan Kane to Announce AG Candidacy on Wednesday". Politics PA.
^ Toeplitz, Shira (April 20, 2011). "Patrick Murphy to Run for Pennsylvania AG". Roll Call.
^ Gibson, Keegan (September 27, 2011). "McCaffery Announces for AG". Politics PA.
^ Campisi, Jon (January 26, 2012). "Attorney Dan McCaffery ends race for Pa. Attorney General". Pennsylvania Record.
^ "Former Philadelphia DA Lynne Abraham Won't Run For Penna. Attorney-General". CBS News Philadelphia. October 7, 2011.
^ "2012 General Election - Official Returns". Pennsylvania Department of State.
^ "Daily Kos Elections' statewide election results by congressional and legislative districts". Daily Kos. Retrieved July 13, 2024.

v t e (2011 ←) 2012 United States elections (→ 2013)
U.S. President	Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming Guam (straw poll)
U.S. Senate	Arizona California Connecticut Delaware Florida Hawaii Indiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Jersey New Mexico New York North Dakota Ohio Pennsylvania Rhode Island Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
U.S. House (Election ratings)	Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona 8th sp Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois 2nd sp Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky 4th sp Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan 11th 11th sp Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey 10th sp New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Northern Mariana Islands Ohio Oklahoma Oregon 1st sp Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia U.S. Virgin Islands Washington 1st sp West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming
Governors	American Samoa Delaware Lt. Gov Indiana Missouri Lt. Gov Montana New Hampshire North Carolina Lt. Gov North Dakota Puerto Rico Utah Vermont Washington West Virginia Wisconsin (recall)
Attorneys general	Missouri North Carolina Pennsylvania
Other statewide elections	Wisconsin Lieutenant Governor (recall)
State legislatures	Arizona Senate California Assembly Senate Connecticut Senate Delaware House Senate Florida House Hawaii House Senate Illinois House Senate Iowa Senate Michigan House Minnesota House Senate Montana House New Mexico House Senate New York Senate North Carolina House Senate Oregon Legislative Assembly Pennsylvania House Senate Texas House Senate Washington House Senate Wisconsin Assembly Senate recalls Wyoming Senate
Mayoral	Alexandria, VA Anchorage, AK Augusta, GA Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA Baton Rouge, LA Cheyenne, WY Corpus Christi, TX Fort Lauderdale, FL Fresno, CA Glendale, AZ Honolulu, HI Huntsville, AL Irvine, CA Juneau, AK Lubbock, TX Mesa, AZ Miami-Dade County, FL Milwaukee, WI Orlando, FL Portland, OR Richmond, VA Riverside, CA Sacramento, CA San Diego, CA San Juan, PR Santa Ana, CA Stockton, CA Virginia Beach, VA Wilmington, DE
States and territories	Alabama Alaska American Samoa Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Guam Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Puerto Rico Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas U.S. Virgin Islands Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming