1968 United States Senate election in California

1968 United States Senate election in California

←  1962 November 5, 1968 1974  →

Nominee Alan Cranston Max Rafferty Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 3,680,352 3,329,148 Percentage 51.82% 46.87%

County results Cranston:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70% Rafferty:     40–50%     50–60%     60–70%

U.S. senator before election Thomas Kuchel Republican Elected U.S. senator Alan Cranston Democratic

The 1968 United States Senate election in California was held on November 5, 1968.

Incumbent Republican Thomas Kuchel was narrowly defeated in the June 4 primary by Superintendent of Public Instruction Max Rafferty. Rafferty would in turn go on to lose to Democratic former State Controller Alan Cranston by a close margin.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Phil Cammack
• W.C. Jones
• Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator and Assistant Minority Leader
• Max Rafferty, California Superintendent of Public Instruction since 1963
• James A. Ware, perennial candidate for office from Los Angeles

Results

1968 Senate Republican primary ^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Max Rafferty (incumbent State of public instruction)	1,112,947	50.05%
	Republican	Thomas Kuchel (incumbent U.S. Senator)	1,043,315	46.92%
	Republican	James A. Ware	28,311	1.27%
	Republican	Phil Cammack	20,767	0.93%
	Republican	W.C. Jones	18,442	0.83%
Total votes			2,223,782	100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Anthony Beilenson, State Senator from Beverly Hills
• William M. Bennett, member of the California Public Utilities Commission ^[2]
• Walter Buchanan, perennial candidate
• Charles Crail
• Alan Cranston, former California State Controller

Results

Democratic primary results ^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Alan Cranston	1,681,825	58.99%
	Democratic	Anthony Beilenson	644,844	22.62%
	Democratic	Walter R. Buchanan	227,798	7.99%
	Democratic	William M. Bennett	207,720	7.29%
	Democratic	Charles Crail	89,023	3.12%
Total votes			2,851,210	100.00

General election

Candidates

• Alan Cranston (Democratic)
• Paul Jacobs (Peace & Freedom)
• Thomas Kuchel (Republican)

Results

Shift by county

Trend by county

Legend

•   Republican — >15%
•   Republican — +12.5−15%
•   Republican — +10−12.5%
•   Republican — +7.5−10%
•   Republican — +5−7.5%
•   Republican — +2.5−5%
•   Republican — +0−2.5%
•   Democratic — +0−2.5%
•   Democratic — +2.5−5%
•   Democratic — +5−7.5%
•   Democratic — +7.5-10%
•   Democratic — +10−12.5%
•   Democratic — +12.5−15%
•   Democratic — >15%

1968 United States Senate election in California ^[4]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Democratic	Alan Cranston	3,680,352	51.82%	8.38
	Republican	Max Rafferty	3,329,148	46.87%	9.46
	Peace and Freedom	Paul Jacobs	92,965	1.31%	N/A
Total votes			7,102,465	100.00%
	Democratic gain from Republican		Swing

References

1. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 04, 1968".
2. "William M. Bennett, former JFK campaign chief and state political heavyweight, dies at 91". February 22, 2010.
3. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - D Primary Race - Jun 04, 1968".
4. "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1968" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved March 31, 2019.