1916 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

1916 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania

November 7, 1916

Nominee Philander C. Knox Ellis L. Orvis Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 680,451 450,112 Percentage 56.31% 37.25%

U.S. senator before election George T. Oliver Republican Elected U.S. Senator Philander C. Knox Republican

The 1916 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania was held on November 7, 1916. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator George T. Oliver was not a candidate for re-election.

The Republican nominee, Philander C. Knox, defeated Democratic nominee Ellis C. Orvis.

General election

Candidates

• Herbert T. Ames, Williamsport attorney (Prohibition)
• Charles W. Ervin (Socialist)
• Philander C. Knox, former U.S. Senator and United States Secretary of State (Republican)
• Robert Colvin Macauley Jr. (Single Tax)
• Ellis L. Orvis, Bellefonte attorney and retired Centre County judge (Democratic)
• William H. Thomas (Socialist Labor)

Results

General election results

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Philander C. Knox	680,451	56.31%
	Democratic	Ellis L. Orvis	450,112	37.25%
	Socialist	Charles W. Ervin	45,385	3.76%
	Prohibition	Herbert T. Ames	30,089	2.49%
	Single Tax	Robert Colvin Macauley Jr.	1,387	0.12%
	Socialist Labor	William H. Thomas	1,022	0.09%
Total votes			1,208,446	100.00%

Aftermath

Knox subsequently died in October 1921, during his first term, and William E. Crow was appointed to fill the vacancy. Crow then also died before the expiration of the term, in August 1922.

David A. Reed was then appointed to fill the vacancy created by Crow's death, and was subsequently elected to complete the rest of the term expiring in March 1923 and to a full six-year term in his own right on the same day.