1986Final results
1986 election for Pennsylvania's 19th District
U.S. House · Pennsylvania
William Goodling (R) won with 72.9% of the vote, defeating Richard F. Thornton (D) by 45.8 points.
William GoodlingRepublican · winner
72.9%100,055
Richard F. ThorntonDemocrat
27.1%37,223
137,278 votes
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
The seat over time
D − R margin in this seat's races around 1986
Races before and after
Source: MIT Election Data and Science LabUpdated Sep 30, 2026, 7:25 AM ET
Money in this race
Each line compares the two campaigns on one scale.
Richard F. ThorntonWilliam Goodling
$19.8K
Raised by the campaign
$49.6K
$19.5K
Spent by the campaign
$46.8K
$270
Cash on hand
$9K
Campaign money: FEC, through Dec 31, 1986.
Source: FEC campaign filingsUpdated Dec 31, 1986