The Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 1817 occurred on November 4, 1817. Incumbent Democratic-Republican governor Simon Snyder was not a candidate for re-election. Simon's preferred successor, State Treasurer William Findlay, was nominated as the Democratic Republican by a caucus of legislative leaders. Conversely, U.S. Representative Joseph Hiester was chosen as a candidate by the Democratic Republican's first popular nominating convention; he additionally gained the endorsement of the declining Federalists.