1994 California gubernatorial election

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1994 California gubernatorial election
Flag of California.svg
  1990 November 8, 1994 1998  
  Pete Wilson meeting with Les Aspin, Feb 3, 1993 - cropped to Wilson (3x4a).JPEG KathleenBrown (3x4a).png
Nominee Pete Wilson Kathleen Brown
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote4,781,7663,519,799
Percentage55.18%40.62%

1994 California gubernatorial election results map by county.svg
1994 California gubernatorial election by Congressional District.svg
Wilson:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%
Brown:      40–50%     50–60%     60–70%     70–80%

Governor before election

Pete Wilson
Republican

Elected Governor

Pete Wilson
Republican

The 1994 California gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, in the midst of that year's "Republican Revolution". Incumbent Republican Pete Wilson easily won re-election over his main challenger, Democratic State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, the daughter of Pat Brown and younger sister of Jerry Brown, both of whom had previously served as governor. Primaries were held on June 3, 1994.

Contents

Although Wilson initially trailed Brown in the polls as a result of the state's faltering economy, his signature opposition to affirmative action and state services for illegal immigrants (with the associated Proposition 187) eventually led to his win. Wilson won 25% of the African-American vote, a fairly strong performance for a Republican; however, he won only 25% of the Latino vote, a weak performance which was widely attributed to his support of Proposition 187. This election was the first California gubernatorial election since 1974 in which the winner of the gubernatorial election was of a different party from the incumbent president.

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

Republican primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Republican Pete Wilson (incumbent) 1,266,832 61.44%
Republican Ron Unz 707,43134.31%
Republican Jim Hart44,0832.14%
Republican Louis Darrigo43,4482.11%
Republican Mike Eagles (write-in)340.00%
Invalid or blank votes92,5804.30%
Total votes2,061,828 100.00%

Democratic primary

Candidates

Results

Democratic primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Democratic Kathleen Brown 1,110,372 48.38%
Democratic John Garamendi 755,87632.93%
Democratic Tom Hayden 318,77713.89%
Democratic Charles Pineda Jr.57,3142.50%
Democratic Jonathan Trip31,7161.38%
Democratic Mark Calney21,1210.92%
Invalid or blank votes139,7105.74%
Total votes2,295,176 100.00%

Minor party primaries

American Independent Party

American Independent primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
American Independent Jerome McCready 18,984 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes19,71050.94%
Total votes18,984 100.00%

Green Party

Green primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Green None of the Above8,18546.18%
Green John T. Selawsky3,68820.81%
Green James Ogle2,93016.53%
Green John Lewallen2,92316.49%
Invalid or blank votes4,52720.34%
Total votes17,726 100.00%

Libertarian Party

Libertarian primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Libertarian Richard Rider 13,757 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes3,20818.91%
Total votes13,757 100.00%

Peace and Freedom Party

Peace and Freedom primary results [2]
PartyCandidateVotes%
Peace and Freedom Gloria Estela La Riva 4,633 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes2,80537.71%
Total votes4,633 100.00%

General election

Candidates

Polling

SourceDatePete
Wilson
Kathleen
Brown
KNBC-TV November 4, 199448%44%
KCAL-TV November 3, 199449%39%
Field Poll November 1, 199450%41%
San Francisco Examiner October 23, 199448%43%
Los Angeles Times October 16, 199450%42%
KCAL-TV October 7, 199448%38%
Los Angeles Times September 16, 199446%44%

Results

1994 California gubernatorial election [3]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Republican Pete Wilson (incumbent) 4,781,766 55.18% +5.93%
Democratic Kathleen Brown 3,519,79940.62%−5.17%
Libertarian Richard Rider149,2811.72%−0.17%
American Independent Jerome McCready133,888 [a] 1.55%−0.27%
Peace and Freedom Gloria Estela La Riva 80,4400.93%−0.33%
Independent Aaron Boxerman (write-in)1300.00%
Independent Nick Miloslavich (write-in)460.00%
Independent Thomas L. Sailers (write-in)160.00%
Independent Tim Oster (write-in)90.00%
Invalid or blank votes235,2612.64%
Majority1,261,96714.56%
Total votes8,665,375 100.00%
Republican hold Swing +14.56%

Results by county

CountyPete Wilson
Republican
Kathleen Brown
Democratic
Richard Rider
Libertarian
Jerome McCready
AIP
Gloria
La Riva
PFP
All Others
Write-in
MarginTotal votes cast [3]
# %# %# %# %# %# %# %
Alameda 147,23836.61%240,49059.80%5,8101.44%4,1611.03%4,4601.11%6 [b] 0.00%-93,252-23.19%402,165
Alpine 38956.54%24034.88%111.60%284.07%202.91%00.00%14921.66%688
Amador 8,78166.81%3,77628.73%2571.96%2611.99%680.52%00.00%5,00538.08%13,143
Butte 42,99862.88%21,88732.01%1,3892.03%1,5622.28%5460.80%1 [c] 0.00%21,11130.87%68,383
Calaveras 10,43866.08%4,43228.06%4152.63%3612.29%1490.94%00.00%6,00638.02%15,795
Colusa 3,69172.70%1,20223.68%721.42%831.63%290.57%00.00%2,48949.03%5,077
Contra Costa 154,48251.47%135,13345.02%4,4831.49%3,9981.33%2,0390.68%5 [d] 0.00%19,3496.45%300,140
Del Norte 4,62661.83%2,37231.70%1481.98%2783.72%580.78%00.00%2,25430.13%7,482
El Dorado 36,69567.14%15,28927.97%1,2062.21%1,1242.06%3400.62%00.00%21,40639.17%54,654
Fresno 112,85162.83%60,95833.94%2,1531.20%2,1461.19%1,4960.83%14 [e] 0.01%51,89328.89%179,618
Glenn 5,91673.54%1,71921.37%1421.77%2172.70%510.63%00.00%4,19752.17%8,045
Humboldt 23,58649.34%21,16244.27%1,1642.43%1,0882.28%8051.68%2 [f] 0.00%2,4245.07%47,807
Imperial 13,20854.97%9,52539.64%2861.19%3411.42%6672.78%00.00%3,68315.33%24,027
Inyo 5,05469.51%1,87825.83%1321.82%1492.05%580.80%00.00%3,17643.68%7,271
Kern 105,73369.49%39,13725.72%2,7111.78%3,1912.10%1,3890.91%1 [g] 0.00%66,59643.77%152,162
Kings 14,75065.02%7,09731.28%2871.27%3501.54%2020.89%00.00%7,65333.73%22,686
Lake 11,41657.88%7,27936.90%4232.14%4502.28%1560.79%00.00%4,13720.97%19,724
Lassen 4,82758.63%2,67132.44%2773.36%3834.65%750.91%00.00%2,15626.19%8,233
Los Angeles 1,043,83550.43%953,30146.06%28,3681.37%23,4691.13%20,9101.01%6 [h] 0.00%90,5344.37%2,069,889
Madera 18,62369.24%7,22326.85%3111.16%5632.09%1770.66%00.00%11,40042.38%26,897
Marin 45,98343.35%56,66553.43%1,6791.58%9580.90%7770.73%1 [i] 0.00%-10,682-10.07%106,063
Mariposa 4,69965.18%2,17830.21%1211.68%1722.39%390.54%00.00%2,52134.97%7,209
Mendocino 14,64548.37%13,71645.30%7672.53%5901.95%5611.85%00.00%9293.07%30,279
Merced 24,87362.90%13,19733.37%4441.12%7631.93%2670.68%00.00%11,67629.53%39,544
Modoc 1,97251.47%1,25732.81%2175.66%3378.80%481.25%00.00%71518.66%3,831
Mono 2,26364.88%1,05130.13%882.52%601.72%260.75%00.00%1,21234.75%3,488
Monterey 49,56553.89%38,59741.96%1,2281.34%1,8432.00%7380.80%8 [j] 0.01%10,96811.92%91,979
Napa 23,42954.69%17,45440.74%7641.78%8351.95%3570.83%00.00%5,97513.95%42,839
Nevada 25,15965.97%11,28329.59%8052.11%6581.73%2300.30%00.00%13,87636.39%38,135
Orange 516,81167.72%211,13227.67%16,3512.14%13,5661.78%5,2740.69%5 [k] 0.00%305,67940.06%763,139
Placer 51,21367.02%21,91528.68%1,5702.05%1,2991.70%4130.54%00.00%29,29838.34%76,410
Plumas 5,49263.87%2,63030.58%2102.44%2102.44%570.66%00.00%2,86233.28%8,599
Riverside 221,02764.17%107,20731.13%6,0851.77%7,1822.09%2,8580.83%58 [l] 0.02%113,82033.05%344,417
Sacramento 196,22954.79%146,42340.88%6,5071.82%5,8811.64%3,1110.87%5 [m] 0.00%49,80613.91%358,156
San Benito 6,39854.17%4,85241.08%2492.11%2121.79%1000.85%00.00%1,54613.09%11,811
San Bernardino 217,08562.30%112,63632.32%7,1482.05%7,9162.27%3,6911.06%00.00%104,44929.97%348,476
San Diego 477,43963.35%240,93731.97%16,3882.17%12,3951.64%6,4930.86%8 [n] 0.00%236,50231.38%753,660
San Francisco 66,49427.81%165,27969.12%2,5611.07%1,0730.45%3,7041.55%2 [o] 0.00%-98,785-41.31%239,113
San Joaquin 78,68261.35%44,78734.92%1,6691.30%2,1191.65%9840.77%2 [p] 0.00%33,89526.43%128,243
San Luis Obispo 52,27060.07%30,68635.27%1,6811.93%1,6881.94%6720.77%12 [q] 0.01%21,58424.81%87,009
San Mateo 102,98947.63%106,39149.21%3,0801.42%2,2441.04%1,4980.69%14 [r] 0.01%-3,402-1.57%216,216
Santa Barbara 75,05156.68%52,42039.59%1,8171.37%2,0751.57%1,0480.79%1 [s] 0.00%22,63117.09%132,412
Santa Clara 212,07547.50%211,90447.46%10,1432.27%7,3931.66%4,9221.10%32 [t] 0.01%1710.04%446,469
Santa Cruz 37,92741.09%49,27253.39%2,1592.34%1,4901.61%1,4391.56%70.01%-11,345-12.29%92,294
Shasta 37,57768.45%13,63324.84%1,1952.18%2,0343.71%4550.83%00.00%23,94443.62%54,894
Sierra 1,01861.77%52832.04%412.49%513.09%100.61%00.00%49029.73%1,648
Siskiyou 11,07560.17%6,05332.88%4742.58%6433.49%1610.87%1 [u] 0.01%5,02227.28%18,407
Solano 51,26551.89%43,17043.70%1,7531.77%1,7651.79%8360.85%1 [v] 0.00%8,0958.19%98,790
Sonoma 73,23445.65%79,72049.69%3,2702.04%2,5401.58%1,6631.04%1 [w] 0.00%-6,486-4.04%160,428
Stanislaus 60,99260.68%35,08034.90%1,5691.56%2,1462.14%7220.72%1 [x] 0.00%25,91225.78%100,510
Sutter 15,99772.11%5,29323.86%3201.44%4582.06%1150.52%00.00%10,70448.25%22,183
Tehama 12,83668.77%4,62624.78%4402.36%6313.38%1330.71%00.00%8,21043.98%18,666
Trinity 3,07856.88%1,78332.95%1813.35%2855.27%831.53%1 [y] 0.02%1,29523.93%5,411
Tulare 54,26769.02%21,63427.52%8561.09%1,2411.58%6280.80%00.00%32,63341.50%78,626
Tuolumne 12,70664.41%6,11731.01%3691.87%4212.13%1130.57%00.00%6,58933.40%19,726
Ventura 136,41762.36%73,16333.44%3,8941.78%3,3661.54%1,9270.88%1 [z] 0.00%63,25428.91%218,768
Yolo 23,01946.58%24,35749.28%8461.71%7131.44%4810.97%5 [aa] 0.01%-1,338-2.71%49,421
Yuba 9,37865.95%4,00228.14%2972.09%4323.04%1110.78%00.00%5,37637.81%14,220
Total4,781,76655.18%3,519,79940.62%149,2811.72%133,8881.55%80,4400.93%2010.00%1,261,96714.56%8,665,375

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Notes

  1. Includes 18 write-in votes for "Jerome N. McCready"
  2. 5 for Miloslavich, 1 for Sailers
  3. 1 for Miloslavich
  4. 1 for Boxerman, 4 for Miloslavich
  5. 4 for Boxerman, 3 for Miloslavich, 3 for Sailers, 4 for Oster
  6. 2 for Boxerman
  7. 1 for Boxerman
  8. 5 for Boxerman, 1 for Oster
  9. 1 for Boxerman
  10. 1 for Boxerman, 6 for Miloslavich, 1 for Oster
  11. 5 for Boxerman
  12. 57 for Boxerman, 1 for Miloslavich
  13. 2 for Boxerman, 3 for Oster
  14. 8 for Boxerman
  15. 2 for Boxerman
  16. 2 for Boxerman
  17. 12 for Boxerman
  18. 1 for Boxerman, 2 for Miloslavich, 11 for Sailers
  19. 1 for Miloslavich
  20. 15, Boxerman, 16 for Miloslavich, 1 for Sailers
  21. 1 for Boxerman
  22. 1 for Boxerman
  23. 1 for Boxerman
  24. 1 for Miloslavich
  25. 1 for Boxerman
  26. 1 for Boxerman
  27. 5 for Boxerman

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References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Defying the Odds?" . The Los Angeles Times . April 4, 1994. p. 74. Retrieved May 26, 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote June 7, 1994 Primary Election. Sacramento, California. pp. 1–9. Retrieved July 22, 2024.
  3. 1 2 California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote November 8, 1994, General Election. Sacramento, California. pp. 1–6. Retrieved July 22, 2024.