The1992 United States Senate special election in Californiatook place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as theregular election to the United States Senate in California.Feinstein defeated future California governorGray Davisin the Democratic primary, while Seymour defeatedWilliam E. Dannemeyerin the Republican primary.
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 County results Feinstein:40–50%50–60%60–70%70–80% Seymour:40–50%50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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In this special election to complete the unexpired term of RepublicanPete Wilson,who resigned to become Governor of California, incumbent Republican SenatorJohn Seymourwas defeated by former San Francisco MayorDianne Feinstein,whom Wilson defeated in the1990 gubernatorial election.Feinstein subsequently heldseniorityover fellow DemocratBarbara Boxer,who was elected on the same day; because Feinstein was elected to complete an unexpired term, she took office on November 4, only 1 day after the election, while Boxer's term commenced with the beginning of the next session of Congress in January 1993. These elections marked the first time in history that two women simultaneously served in the Senate from the same state.
Background
editThe seat became vacant after incumbent Republican U.S. SenatorPete Wilsonwon the1990 gubernatorial election,defeating DemocratDianne Feinstein.Wilson appointedJohn Seymourto the Senate to replace himself.
Democratic primary
editCandidates
edit- Joseph Alioto
- Gray Davis,California State Controller
- Dianne Feinstein,former Mayor of San Francisco (1978–88) and nominee for Governor in 1990
- David Kearns
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein | 1,775,124 | 54.74% | |
| Democratic | Gray Davis | 1,009,761 | 32.85% | |
| Democratic | David Kearns | 149,918 | 4.88% | |
| Democratic | Joseph Alioto | 139,410 | 4.54% | |
| Total votes | 3,074,213 | 100.00% | ||
Republican primary
editCandidates
edit- William B. Allen,former Chair of theUnited States Commission on Civil Rightsand candidate for Senator in 1986 and Governor in 1990
- William E. Dannemeyer,U.S. Representative fromFullerton
- John Seymour,incumbent U.S. Senator since January 1991 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson)
- Jim Trinity, retiredGlendaledentist[2]
Results
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | John Seymour(incumbent) | 1,216,096 | 51.17% | |
| Republican | William E. Dannemeyer | 638,279 | 26.86% | |
| Republican | Jim Trinity | 306,182 | 12.88% | |
| Republican | William B. Allen | 216,177 | 9.10% | |
| Total votes | 2,376,734 | 100.00 | ||
General election
editResults
edit| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein | 5,853,651 | 54.29% | |||
| Republican | John Seymour(incumbent) | 4,093,501 | 37.96% | |||
| Peace and Freedom | Gerald Horne | 305,697 | 2.84% | |||
| American Independent | Paul Meeuwenberg | 281,973 | 2.62% | |||
| Libertarian | Richard Benjamin Boddie | 247,799 | 2.30% | |||
| No party | Write-ins | 122 | 0.00 | |||
| Invalid or blank votes | 591,822 | 5.20% | ||||
| Total votes | 11,374,565 | 100.00% | ||||
| Turnout | 54.52 | |||||
| DemocraticgainfromRepublican | ||||||
By county
edit| County | Feinstein | Seymour | Horne | Meeuwenberg | Boddie | Write-in | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| share | votes | share | votes | share | votes | share | votes | share | votes | share | votes | |
| Alameda | 72.56% | 374,675 | 21.93% | 113,223 | 2.30% | 11,866 | 1.61% | 8,323 | 1.60% | 8,257 | 0.00% | 23 |
| Alpine | 47.91% | 287 | 42.07% | 252 | 3.01% | 18 | 4.51% | 27 | 2.50% | 15 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Amador | 48.29% | 7,319 | 42.64% | 6,463 | 2.40% | 364 | 4.07% | 617 | 2.60% | 394 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Butte | 44.72% | 37,396 | 45.57% | 38,111 | 2.96% | 2,477 | 3.56% | 2,980 | 3.19% | 2,666 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Calaveras | 46.64% | 7,839 | 42.00% | 7,059 | 2.32% | 390 | 5.38% | 905 | 3.65% | 614 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Colusa | 37.58% | 2,083 | 54.37% | 3,014 | 2.53% | 140 | 3.18% | 176 | 2.35% | 130 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Contra Costa | 62.96% | 229,988 | 31.62% | 115,507 | 1.92% | 7,011 | 1.77% | 6,470 | 1.73% | 6,320 | 0.00% | 2 |
| Del Norte | 50.92% | 4,696 | 39.66% | 3,658 | 2.56% | 236 | 4.98% | 459 | 1.89% | 174 | 0.00% | 0 |
| El Dorado | 45.34% | 28,957 | 45.56% | 29,101 | 2.37% | 1,512 | 3.80% | 2,427 | 2.93% | 1,873 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Fresno | 45.07% | 94,988 | 48.48% | 102,172 | 2.32% | 4,888 | 2.25% | 4,740 | 1.88% | 3,959 | 0.00% | 4 |
| Glenn | 33.10% | 2,864 | 56.73% | 4,908 | 2.51% | 217 | 4.81% | 416 | 2.85% | 247 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Humboldt | 59.81% | 35,178 | 33.18% | 19,513 | 2.99% | 1,756 | 2.13% | 1,253 | 1.90% | 1,117 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Imperial | 48.77% | 12,433 | 43.42% | 11,070 | 3.77% | 962 | 2.55% | 651 | 1.48% | 378 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Inyo | 37.41% | 3,067 | 52.66% | 4,318 | 2.68% | 220 | 4.34% | 356 | 2.90% | 238 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Kern | 36.31% | 63,661 | 54.46% | 95,483 | 3.22% | 5,640 | 3.59% | 6,289 | 2.43% | 4,258 | 0.00% | 3 |
| Kings | 40.70% | 9,805 | 50.29% | 12,115 | 3.74% | 901 | 3.57% | 860 | 1.70% | 410 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Lake | 55.10% | 12,732 | 35.04% | 8,096 | 3.12% | 721 | 3.96% | 916 | 2.77% | 641 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Lassen | 40.39% | 4,005 | 47.64% | 4,724 | 3.29% | 326 | 5.59% | 554 | 3.10% | 307 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Los Angeles | 58.72% | 1,552,223 | 34.03% | 899,656 | 3.18% | 84,093 | 2.09% | 55,380 | 1.97% | 52,123 | 0.00% | 20 |
| Madera | 39.79% | 11,682 | 52.14% | 15,309 | 2.94% | 862 | 3.63% | 1,066 | 1.50% | 441 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Marin | 71.26% | 92,205 | 24.61% | 31,846 | 1.45% | 1,880 | 0.88% | 1,142 | 1.80% | 2,328 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Mariposa | 45.38% | 3,681 | 43.98% | 3,568 | 3.09% | 251 | 5.07% | 411 | 2.48% | 201 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Mendocino | 60.59% | 22,000 | 30.28% | 10,993 | 3.55% | 1,290 | 2.86% | 1,039 | 2.72% | 988 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Merced | 47.61% | 22,010 | 43.79% | 20,246 | 2.79% | 1,289 | 2.95% | 1,365 | 2.86% | 1,323 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Modoc | 35.77% | 1,572 | 52.95% | 2,327 | 3.00% | 132 | 5.21% | 229 | 3.07% | 135 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Mono | 45.11% | 1,931 | 44.64% | 1,911 | 2.83% | 121 | 3.95% | 169 | 3.48% | 149 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Monterey | 58.89% | 66,417 | 34.74% | 39,182 | 2.10% | 2,369 | 2.30% | 2,590 | 1.96% | 2,216 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Napa | 57.01% | 29,875 | 35.38% | 18,539 | 2.46% | 1,288 | 2.93% | 1,537 | 2.22% | 1,161 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Nevada | 46.04% | 20,044 | 44.73% | 19,476 | 2.90% | 1,261 | 3.32% | 1,444 | 3.02% | 1,313 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Orange | 39.87% | 377,170 | 50.93% | 481,810 | 2.86% | 27,056 | 3.42% | 32,316 | 2.93% | 27,729 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Placer | 45.75% | 40,511 | 45.73% | 40,497 | 2.38% | 2,109 | 3.30% | 2,920 | 2.84% | 2,518 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Plumas | 46.44% | 4,647 | 43.64% | 4,367 | 2.30% | 230 | 4.53% | 453 | 3.10% | 310 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Riverside | 44.56% | 187,548 | 45.44% | 191,258 | 3.52% | 14,808 | 3.95% | 16,632 | 2.54% | 10,689 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Sacramento | 53.77% | 237,722 | 38.07% | 168,318 | 2.99% | 13,228 | 2.88% | 12,716 | 2.29% | 10,113 | 0.00% | 1 |
| San Benito | 55.51% | 6,938 | 37.10% | 4,637 | 2.34% | 293 | 2.88% | 360 | 2.16% | 270 | 0.00% | 0 |
| San Bernardino | 44.35% | 200,979 | 45.67% | 206,969 | 3.64% | 16,511 | 3.71% | 16,804 | 2.61% | 11,825 | 0.01% | 48 |
| San Diego | 46.97% | 442,855 | 43.63% | 411,362 | 3.21% | 30,287 | 3.09% | 29,149 | 3.10% | 29,212 | 0.00% | 3 |
| San Francisco | 80.60% | 250,972 | 15.79% | 49,165 | 1.63% | 5,062 | 0.62% | 1,919 | 1.36% | 4,233 | 0.00% | 10 |
| San Joaquin | 48.90% | 76,607 | 43.11% | 67,531 | 2.78% | 4,360 | 3.27% | 5,123 | 1.94% | 3,043 | 0.00% | 1 |
| San L. Obispo | 47.47% | 48,376 | 43.94% | 44,775 | 2.54% | 2,587 | 3.08% | 3,134 | 2.97% | 3,030 | 0.00% | 0 |
| San Mateo | 67.25% | 181,990 | 27.89% | 75,470 | 1.84% | 4,983 | 1.29% | 3,478 | 1.73% | 4,684 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Santa Barbara | 49.63% | 77,900 | 42.71% | 67,043 | 3.43% | 5,386 | 2.25% | 3,535 | 1.98% | 3,101 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Santa Clara | 62.19% | 364,997 | 30.98% | 181,858 | 2.15% | 12,646 | 2.20% | 12,912 | 2.47% | 14,518 | 0.00% | 2 |
| Santa Cruz | 67.88% | 76,327 | 25.40% | 28,562 | 2.49% | 2,801 | 1.84% | 2,072 | 2.39% | 2,686 | 0.00% | 1 |
| Shasta | 37.81% | 25,111 | 51.48% | 34,192 | 2.90% | 1,928 | 4.62% | 3,070 | 3.19% | 2,116 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Sierra | 45.12% | 818 | 44.57% | 808 | 2.48% | 45 | 3.47% | 63 | 4.36% | 79 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Siskiyou | 44.35% | 8,963 | 45.42% | 9,180 | 2.34% | 473 | 5.16% | 1,043 | 2.73% | 551 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Solano | 59.83% | 77,739 | 32.30% | 41,970 | 2.75% | 3,571 | 2.84% | 3,696 | 2.28% | 2,960 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Sonoma | 62.84% | 121,471 | 29.38% | 56,793 | 3.02% | 5,846 | 2.43% | 4,702 | 2.33% | 4,502 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Stanislaus | 50.11% | 62,110 | 41.59% | 51,549 | 2.84% | 3,519 | 3.49% | 4,325 | 1.98% | 2,450 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Sutter | 36.43% | 9,135 | 53.54% | 13,427 | 2.38% | 596 | 5.24% | 1,313 | 2.42% | 606 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Tehama | 39.31% | 8,253 | 48.19% | 10,116 | 2.99% | 627 | 5.43% | 1,140 | 4.08% | 856 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Trinity | 42.41% | 2,743 | 43.66% | 2,824 | 3.80% | 246 | 6.29% | 407 | 3.83% | 248 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Tulare | 35.71% | 30,665 | 56.46% | 48,493 | 2.72% | 2,332 | 3.11% | 2,674 | 2.00% | 1,720 | 0.00% | 0 |
| Tuolumne | 50.56% | 11,895 | 40.59% | 9,550 | 2.90% | 682 | 3.40% | 801 | 2.54% | 597 | 0.01% | 2 |
| Ventura | 45.30% | 119,366 | 46.32% | 122,064 | 2.72% | 7,167 | 3.04% | 8,019 | 2.61% | 6,882 | 0.00% | 1 |
| Yolo | 61.68% | 37,340 | 31.70% | 19,191 | 2.18% | 1,319 | 2.27% | 1,376 | 2.17% | 1,311 | 0.00% | 1 |
| Yuba | 40.76% | 6,890 | 46.63% | 7,882 | 3.07% | 518 | 6.09% | 1,030 | 3.45% | 584 | 0.00% | 0 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ab"June 2, 1992, Primary Election, Statement of Vote"(PDF).p. 25.
- ^Feldman, Paul (March 13, 1992)."CAMPAIGN JOURNAL: Instead of Door to Door, It's Now VCR to VCR".Los Angeles Times.RetrievedAugust 17,2021.
And two others vying for the same Republican Senate nomination as Dannemeyer--underfunded Claremont college professor Bill Allen and retired Glendale dentist Jim Trinity, a political unknown--have mailed campaign videos to leading Republicans and reporters in attempts to establish credibility for their long-shot campaigns.
- ^"1992 U.S. Senate Election Results for California"(PDF).elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov.RetrievedJuly 7,2023.
External links
edit- JoinCalifornia1992 Special Election