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As it is looking like the Dems streak in the PA Governor's office will continue in 2018, it's worth mentioning the Last Time that Republicans won the governorship of Pennsylvania: When Popular Incumbent Western PA AG Tom Corbett Bested Allegheny County Executive Dan Onorato in 2010
Taking advantage of his popularity as AG, Onorato's support for taxes on Natural gas, his ties to Western PA, and the brweing Republican Wave, Corbett Bested Onorato, not just in their mutual home of Western PA, but by landsliding the rest of the state in a 9% landslide.
His administration would see unpopular budget cuts - such as his cutting of education - and other scandals that would see him become the first PA Governor to lose reelection in the state's History.
Toomey's first win came in the Same Pro-GOP Climate that brought Corbett to the Governor's mansion, but with Representative Joe Sestak (whom defeated Incumbent Senator Arlend Specter) holding him to a much smaller margin than Onorato managed to hold Corbett to.
The General election was a clear contrast of Ideals, with Sestak being an incumbent representative and voting for Cap and trade to limit Greenhouse gas emissions, the ztimulus packages, and the healthcare overhaul
At the same time, Toomey had been out of congress for six years; and in addition to being a firm defender of the Bush Tax Cuts, and arguing for lower corporate and capital gains tax rates he criticized Sestak for these spending increases.
Toomey was ahead throughout the race untill a late minute surge by Sestak gave the Democrats hope of holding this seat, but the outspent Sestak was unable to break through Toomey's advantage, losing by 2%.
When comparign the two races the effects of the gubernatorial campaign vs the Senatorial campaign become evident.
With Corbett overperforming everywhere by 5-10% his leveraging of his Western PA ties granted him his strongest overperformance over Toomey in the ancestrally Dem West, doing so by 10%+. By Contrast, Onorato's focus on Western PA only Let Corbett overperform in the West by 0-5%
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