← 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 → Off-year elections | |
Election day | November 6 |
---|---|
Congressional special elections | |
Seats contested | 2 |
Net seat change | Republican +1 |
Gubernatorial elections | |
Seats contested | 3 |
Net seat change | Republican +1 |
1979 gubernatorial election results map | |
Legend | |
Democratic hold Republican gain No election |
The 1979 United States elections were held on November 6, 1979. This off-year election primarily involved local, state, and congressional elections.
The 1979 elections occurred in the final year of President Jimmy Carter's first and only term. Minor gains occurred for the Republican party as a result of increasing stagflation.
Two special elections were held to fill vacancies in the House of Representatives. The most notable race was that for California's eleventh district, whose previous representative had been shot and killed by members of the Peoples Temple in Jonestown, Guyana. [1]
District | Incumbent | This race | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Member | Party | First elected | Results | Candidates | |
California 11 | Leo Ryan | Democratic | 1972 | Incumbent member-elect was murdered November 18, 1978. New member elected April 3, 1979. Republican gain. |
|
Wisconsin 6 | William A. Steiger | Republican | 1966 | Incumbent member-elect died December 4, 1978. New member elected April 3, 1979. Republican hold. [3] |
|
Three states held gubernatorial elections in 1979.
State | Incumbent | First elected | Result | Candidates |
---|---|---|---|---|
Kentucky [4] | Julian Carroll (Democratic) | 1974 [lower-alpha 1] | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. |
|
Louisiana | Edwin Edwards (Democratic) | 1972 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Republican gain. |
|
Mississippi | Cliff Finch (Democratic) | 1975 | Incumbent term-limited. New governor elected. Democratic hold. |
|
State legislative elections were also held in various states across the country. These elections determined the control of state legislatures, which would play a crucial role in the redistricting process following the 1980 census.
In addition to state and congressional races, numerous local elections were held. These elections included mayoral races, city council elections, and referenda on key issues such as taxation and public services.
Leo Joseph Ryan Jr. was an American teacher and politician. A member of the Democratic Party, he served as the U.S. representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until his assassination just prior to the Jonestown massacre in 1978. Before that, he served in the California State Assembly, representing the state's 27th district.
Robert Takeo Matsui was an American politician from the state of California. Matsui was a member of the Democratic Party and served in the U.S. House of Representatives as the congressman for California's 5th congressional district from 1979 until his death at the end of his 13th term.
George Richard Moscone was an attorney and Democratic politician who was the 37th mayor of San Francisco, California from January 1976 until his assassination in November 1978. He was known as "The People's Mayor", who opened up City Hall and its commissions to reflect the diversity of San Francisco, appointing African Americans, Asian Americans, and gay people. Moscone served in the California State Senate from 1967 until becoming mayor; in the Senate he served as majority leader. He is remembered for being an advocate of civil progressivism.
Daniel Edward Lungren is an American politician and lawyer who served as the U.S. representative for California's 3rd congressional district from 2005 to 2013. A member of the Republican Party, during his tenure, the district covered most of Sacramento County, portions of Solano County, as well as all of Alpine County, Amador County and Calaveras County.
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline Speier is an American lawyer and politician who served as the U.S. representative for California's 14th congressional district, serving in Congress from 2008 to 2023. A member of the Democratic Party, Speier represented much of the territory that her political mentor, Leo Ryan, represented.
The 2006 United States Senate election in California was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her third full term.
The 1990 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. The Republican candidate, Senator Pete Wilson, defeated the Democratic candidate, former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein.
The 1979 mayoral election was held to elect the mayor of San Francisco. Incumbent mayor Dianne Feinstein, who had succeeded George Moscone after his assassination the prior year, was elected to her first full term as mayor of the City and County, the first woman to be elected to the position in the city's history. Feinstein, with 46.63%, and Quentin L. Kopp, with 44.72%, were the top two finishers in the first-round, and advanced to a runoff. In the first round the two of them had beat out former Board of Permit Appeals president David Scott, musician Jello Biafra, Sylvia Weinstein, Cesar Ascarrunz, Steve L. Calitri, Tibor Uskert, Joe Hughes and Patricia Dolbeare.
The mayoralty of Dianne Feinstein lasted from November 27, 1978, to January 8, 1988, while she served as the 38th Mayor of San Francisco. Feinstein gained the position following the Moscone–Milk assassinations, in which her predecessor, Mayor George Moscone, was killed by Dan White, a former member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She was formally appointed to the position by the Board of Supervisors by a vote of six to two and inaugurated on December 4, 1978.
The 2016 United States elections were held on Tuesday, November 8, 2016. Republican nominee Donald Trump defeated Democratic former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the presidential election, while Republicans retained control of Congress. This marked the first and most recent time Republicans won or held unified control of the presidency and Congress since 2004.
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The 2017 United States elections were held, in large part, on Tuesday, November 7, 2017. This off-year election featured gubernatorial elections in Virginia and New Jersey, as well as state legislative elections in both houses of the New Jersey Legislature and in the Virginia House of Delegates. Numerous citizen initiatives, mayoral races, and a variety of other local elections also occurred. Special elections were also held for one seat of the U.S. Senate, representing Alabama, and six seats of the U.S. House of Representatives. The Democrats picked up the governorship in New Jersey and the Alabama Senate seat that was up for a special election. The governorship in Virginia and the six House seats that were up for special elections did not change party hands.
The 2018 United States Senate election in California took place on November 6, 2018, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent California, concurrently with other elections to the United States Senate, elections to the United States House of Representatives, and various state and local elections.
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The 2020 United States House of Representatives elections in Wisconsin were held on November 3, 2020, to elect the eight U.S. representatives from the state of Wisconsin, one from each of the state's eight congressional districts. The elections coincided with the 2020 U.S. presidential election, as well as other elections to the House of Representatives, elections to the United States Senate and various state and local elections. Primaries were held on August 11, 2020.
The 2018 California State Senate elections were held on Tuesday, November 6, 2018, with the primary election being held on June 5, 2018. Voters in the 20 even-numbered districts of the California State Senate elected their representatives. The elections coincided with the elections of other offices, including for governor and the California State Assembly.
The San Francisco mayoral election of 1971 was held on November 2, 1971, with incumbent Joseph Alioto being re-elected with 38.6 percent of the vote, from among 11 candidates, there being no provision for a runoff.
The 2024 United States Senate elections in California will be held on November 5, 2024, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the state of California. There will be two ballot items for the same Class 1 seat: a special election to fill the seat for the final weeks of the 118th United States Congress, and a general election for a full term that starts on January 3, 2025, starting in the 119th United States Congress. California uses a nonpartisan blanket primary, in which all candidates regardless of party affiliation appear on the same primary ballot and the two highest-placing candidates advance to the general election; however, special election winners can win outright if they win more than 50% of the vote in the first round.
There were two special elections in 1979 to the United States House of Representatives in the 96th United States Congress. Both of them were won by Republicans, filling seats that were vacant since the January 3, 1979 beginning of the term.
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Published in The Sacramento Bee on 9/15/2004.
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