▁ 1 9 2 0 . ▁As ▁chairman , ▁Pin ch ot ▁co ax ed ▁a ▁major ▁budget ▁increase ▁from ▁the ▁legisl ature , ▁decent ral ized ▁the ▁commission ' s ▁administration , ▁and ▁replaced ▁numerous ▁political ▁app o inte es ▁with ▁professional ▁forest ers . ▁He ▁narrow ly ▁won ▁the ▁three - c andid ate ▁Republican ▁primary ▁in ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁ 1 9 2 2 ▁g ubern atorial ▁election , ▁and ▁went ▁on ▁to ▁defeat ▁Dem ocrat ▁John ▁A . ▁Mc S par ran ▁in ▁the ▁general ▁election . ▁Pin ch ot ' s ▁victory ▁over ▁his ▁Republican ▁oppon ents ▁ow ed ▁much ▁to ▁his ▁reputation ▁as ▁a ▁sta unch ▁te et otal er ▁during ▁the ▁early ▁period ▁of ▁Pro hib ition ; ▁he ▁was ▁also ▁boost ed ▁by ▁his ▁popular ity ▁with ▁far mers , ▁labor ers , ▁and ▁women . ▁Pin ch ot ▁focused ▁on ▁bal ancing ▁the ▁state ▁budget ; ▁he ▁inherited ▁a ▁$ 3 2 ▁million ▁def ic it ▁and ▁left ▁office ▁with ▁a ▁$ 6 . 7 ▁million ▁sur plus . ▁Pin ch ot ▁and ▁engineer ▁Morris ▁L le wel lyn ▁Co oke ▁purs ued ▁am bit ious ▁plans ▁to ▁reg ulate ▁Pennsylvania ' s ▁electric ▁power ▁industry , ▁but ▁their ▁propos als ▁were ▁defeated ▁in ▁the ▁state ▁legisl ature . ▁ ▁Pin ch ot ▁emer ged ▁as ▁a ▁potential ▁cont ender ▁for ▁the ▁Republican ▁nom ination ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 2 4 ▁president ial ▁election ▁following ▁the ▁death ▁of ▁President ▁Hard ing , ▁as