John M. Walker was a Democratic

Republican Party (United States)

The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...

 politician from Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania

The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...

. From 1939 until 1954 he represented a suburban district of Pittsburgh. Later, he served as an Allegheny County Commissioner. He won the party's 1958 primary

Pennsylvania gubernatorial election, 1958

The Pennsylvania gubernatorial election of 1958 was held on November 4. Democrat David Lawrence defeated Republican Art McGonigle by a smaller than anticipated margin....

 for Lieutenant Governor, but was part of a losing ticket with Arthur McGonigle

Arthur T. McGonigle

Arthur T. "Art" McGonigle was a Pennsylvania businessman and the 1958 Republican Party nominee for state governor.McGonigle was born in Kane, Pennsylvania. He grew up in a Methodist home and gained a reputation as an affable individual. McGonigle attended Temple University and later took a job as...

.

In the 1930s, Walker had been an advisor to Governor Gifford Pinchot

Gifford Pinchot

Gifford Pinchot was the first Chief of the United States Forest Service and the 28th Governor of Pennsylvania...

. He also gained a reputation for his combative anti-tax viewpoints while in the House.