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The 1984 PA-23rd Congressional Election, a close contest between Incumbent Congressman William Clinger and State College Legislator Bill Wachob resulted in a near win for Wachob in this Rural Unionist Republican district.
Republican since the civil war, this area has only elected a Democratic congressman once—in 1976 when Joseph Ammerman won.
However, here in 1984, despite the Reagan landslide, and Clinger's strident moderation the desire by many to see more government spending in Rural areas nearly led to Wachob clinching a district that has seldom voted Democratic.
Wachob—a noted Liberal from State College who attacked Reagan in both his runs—would run again in 1986, however, with Clinger running scared from his 1984 run, the seat's lean ascerted itself; handing Wachob an 11% defeat.
The 1986 campaign was notable because, in trying to get a leg up on Clinger, Wachob called in Ed Asner to help him fundraise—to combat this, Clinger called in Charleton Heston to record radio advertisements for him.
Despite his doing 7.7% worse, Wachob did better in the western portion of the district in Venago, Clarion, and Armstrong Counties, in addition to Rural McKeon county in the north west—trading for this his strength in Centre and Elk Counties.
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