 Thus, the 2004 GOP primary for Attorney General now is considered to have been a pivotal election for Pennsylvania as it split the Republican Party, with the more polarizing conservative wing taking dominance.This has led to the nomination of candidates unable to win general elections by not appealing to SE PA voters and the designation of Pennsylvania as a firmly "blue" state.In 2016, Donald Trump carried Pennsylvania and GOP Senator Pat Toomey was re-elected.