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 County results Cranston: 40-50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Zschau: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The 1986 United States Senate election in California took place on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Alan Cranston narrowly won re-election to a fourth and final term over Republican U.S. Congressman Ed Zschau. This was the last time where both major party nominees for the Class 3 Senate seat in California were men until 2022.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Cranston (incumbent) | 1,807,244 | 80.71% | |
| Democratic | Charles Greene | 165,594 | 7.40% | |
| Democratic | John Hancock Abbott | 124,218 | 5.55% | |
| Democratic | Robert John Banuelos | 77,286 | 3.45% | |
| Democratic | Brian Lantz | 64,907 | 2.90% | |
| Total votes | 2,239,249 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ed Zschau | 737,384 | 37.12% | |
| Republican | Bruce Herschensohn | 587,852 | 29.59% | |
| Republican | Michael D. Antonovich | 180,010 | 9.06% | |
| Republican | Bobbi Fiedler | 143,032 | 7.20% | |
| Republican | Edward M. Davis | 130,309 | 6.56% | |
| Republican | Robert W. Naylor | 60,820 | 3.06% | |
| Republican | Art Laffer | 47,288 | 2.38% | |
| Republican | Joe Knowland | 35,987 | 1.81% | |
| Republican | Eldridge Cleaver | 23,512 | 1.17% | |
| Republican | George Montgomery | 16,374 | 0.82% | |
| Republican | William B. Allen | 12,990 | 0.65% | |
| Republican | William H. Pemberton | 6,698 | 0.34% | |
| Republican | John W. Spring | 4,478 | 0.23% | |
| Total votes | 1,986,374 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peace and Freedom | Paul Kangas | 2,495 | 51.03% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Lenni Brenner | 2,394 | 48.97% | |
| Total votes | 4,889 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Cranston (incumbent) | 3,646,672 | 49.29% | ||
| Republican | Ed Zschau | 3,541,804 | 47.87% | ||
| American Independent | Edward B Vallen | 109,916 | 1.49% | ||
| Libertarian | Breck McKinley | 66,261 | 0.90% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | Paul Kangas | 33,869 | 0.46% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
The 1986 United States Senate elections were elections for the United States Senate. Held on November 4, in the middle of Ronald Reagan's second presidential term, the 34 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections. The Republicans had to defend an unusually large number of freshman Senate incumbents who had been elected on President Ronald Reagan's coattails in 1980. Democrats won a net of eight seats, defeating seven freshman incumbents, picking up two Republican-held open seats, and regaining control of the Senate for the first time since January 1981. This remains the most recent midterm election cycle in which the sitting president's party suffered net losses while still flipping a Senate seat.
The 1914 United States Senate elections, with the ratification of the 17th Amendment in 1913, was the first time that all seats up for election were popularly elected instead of chosen by their state legislatures. And thus it became the first time that they were generally scheduled on Election Day to coincide with the U.S. House elections. The 32 seats of Class 3 were contested in regular elections in 1914. Special elections were also held to fill vacancies. These elections occurred in the middle of Democratic President Woodrow Wilson's first term.
The 1958 California gubernatorial election was held on Tuesday November 4, Democratic candidate Pat Brown won the first of his two terms as governor of California against Republican senator William Knowland.
The 1992 United States Senate election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the special election to the United States Senate in California. Incumbent Democrat Alan Cranston decided to retire. Democrat Barbara Boxer won the open seat. This election was noted as both of California's senators were elected for the first time. This is not a unique occurrence; it would happen again in Tennessee in 1994, Kansas in 1996, and Georgia in 2021. Fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein, California's senior senator, won the special election and was inaugurated in November 1992.
George H. McLain was a United States Democratic politician from California and an influential pension promoter from the 1930s through the early 1950s.
Joseph William Knowland was an actor from Oakland, California. Knowland gained recognition as the editor and publisher of The Oakland Tribune newspaper, as did his father William F. Knowland and his grandfather Joseph R. Knowland before him. Knowland has acted in four feature films, a short film, three made-for-TV movies and two television episodes. In his acting career, Knowland billed himself as "Joe Knowland" starting in 1983. 'Joe' is the nickname formerly used by his grandfather.
The 1980 United States Senate election in California took place on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Alan Cranston easily won re-election to a third term, even as the state's former Republican governor, Ronald Reagan, won a landslide victory in the concurrent presidential election, and a target of the National Conservative Political Action Committee.
The 1988 United States Senate election in California took place on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Wilson won re-election to a second term.
The 1982 United States Senate election in California took place on November 2, 1982. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator S. I. Hayakawa decided to retire after one term. Republican Pete Wilson, the Mayor of San Diego, won Hayakawa's open seat over Democratic Governor Jerry Brown and several minor candidates.
The 1976 United States Senate election in California took place on November 2, 1976. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator John V. Tunney ran for re-election to a second term, but was defeated by Republican S. I. Hayakawa. As of 2023, this is the last time an incumbent Democratic Senator from California lost re-election.
The 1956 United States Senate election in California was held on November 6, 1956.
The United States Senate election in California of 1940 was held on November 5, 1940. Incumbent Republican Senator Hiram Johnson was re-elected to his fifth term in office, though he would die in office in 1945.
The 1944 United States Senate election in California was held on November 7, 1944.
The two 1946 United States Senate elections in California were held concurrently on November 5, 1946.
The 1962 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 6, 1962. Incumbent Republican U.S. Senator John Marshall Butler did not run for re-election to a third term in office. Democratic U.S. Representative Daniel Brewster won the re-election to succeed him easily over Republican U.S. Representative Edward Tylor Miller.
The 1962 United States Senate election in California was held on November 6, 1962.
The 1964 United States Senate election in California was held on November 3, 1964.
The 1964 United States Senate election in Maryland was held on November 3, 1964.
The 1968 United States Senate election in California was held on November 5, 1968.
The 1970 United States Senate election in California was held on November 3, 1970.
