1992 United States Senate special election in California
The 1992 United States Senate special election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the regular election to the United States Senate in California. Feinstein defeated future California governor Gray Davis in the Democratic primary, while Seymour defeated William E. Dannemeyer in 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 Republican Pete Wilson, who resigned to become Governor of California, incumbent Republican Senator John Seymour was defeated by former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, whom Wilson defeated in the 1990 gubernatorial election. Feinstein subsequently held seniority over fellow Democrat Barbara 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. Senator Pete Wilson won the 1990 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Wilson appointed John Seymour to 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
editParty | 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 the United States Commission on Civil Rights and candidate for Senator in 1986 and Governor in 1990
- William E. Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from Fullerton
- John Seymour, incumbent U.S. Senator since January 1991 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson)
- Jim Trinity, retired Glendale dentist[2]
Results
editParty | 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
editParty | 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 | |||||
Democratic gain from Republican |
By county
editCounty | 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- ^ a b "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. Retrieved August 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. Retrieved July 7, 2023.
External links
edit- JoinCalifornia 1992 Special Election