William G. Stinson (born circa 1945) is an American politician from Pennsylvania who served as a Democratic member of the

Pennsylvania State Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

for the 2nd district from 1993 to 1994. He was elected to represent the 2nd senatorial district in the

Pennsylvania Senate The Pennsylvania State Senate is the upper house of the Pennsylvania General Assembly, the Pennsylvania state legislature. The State Senate meets in the State Capitol building in Harrisburg. Senators are elected for four year terms, staggered ev ...

in a 1993 special election. However,

Federal District Judge In the United States, federal judges are judges who serve on courts established under Article Three of the U.S. Constitution. They include the chief justice and the associate justices of the U.S. Supreme Court, the circuit judges of the U.S. Cou ...

Clarence C. Newcomer declared him the loser of that election after finding that Stinson had engaged in election fraud and ordered Stinson's Republican opponent,

Bruce Marks Bruce S. Marks (born March 14, 1957) is an American attorney and politician who served as a Republican member of the Pennsylvania State Senate for the 2nd district from 1994 to 1995. Early life Marks was born in Clarksburg, West Virginia. ...

, be seated in his stead. The latter took office on April 28, 1994. The decision was notable because it shifted control of the state Senate from the Democratic party to the

Republican party Republican Party is a name used by many political parties around the world, though the term most commonly refers to the United States' Republican Party. Republican Party may also refer to: Africa *Republican Party (Liberia) * Republican Part ...

. It was the first time such an event had occurred at the order of a federal judge.Vote Fraud Ruling Shifts Pennsylvania Senate
New York Times, February 19, 1994

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stinson, William G. Democratic Party Pennsylvania state senators Politicians from Philadelphia Living people Year of birth uncertain American politicians convicted of fraud Pennsylvania politicians convicted of crimes 20th-century American politicians Year of birth missing (living people)