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Posted on July 23, 2020 By Robert Payne

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1998 California gubernatorial election
← 1994 November 3, 1998 2002 →
Turnout41.43%
 
Nominee Gray Davis Dan Lungren
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 4,860,702 3,218,030
Percentage 57.97% 38.38%
Davis:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%
Lungren:      40–50%      50–60%
Governor before election

Pete Wilson
Republican

Elected Governor

Gray Davis
Democratic

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The 1998 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 3, 1998, resulting in the election of Lieutenant Governor Gray Davis as the state's first Democratic governor in 16 years. Davis won the general election by an almost 20% margin over his closest opponent, Republican Attorney General Dan Lungren. Davis succeeded Pete Wilson who was term limited. The 1998 California gubernatorial election featured the state's only gubernatorial blanket primary, a practice which was later struck down in United States Supreme Court in California Democratic Party v. Jones in 2000.

The primary occurred on June 2, 1998. Davis defeated fellow Democrats Jane Harman and Al Checchi for the Democratic nomination. Davis received more votes than Lungren, who ran against less well-known opponents in the Republican primary. The primary set a record for spending in a California gubernatorial primary. Davis won 30 of California's 58 counties; no Democrat would win a majority of the counties again until Gavin Newsom in 2018.[a] Davis carried Mono County by a single vote, becoming the first Democratic candidate to ever carry that county in a gubernatorial election.[b] This is the most recent gubernatorial election in which a Democrat carried Amador County, Kings County, Riverside County, and Trinity County. San Bernardino County would not back a Democrat again until 2018.

Primary election

The Democratic field for the race became open when the state's most well-known and popular politician, Senator Dianne Feinstein, decided in January 1998 not to run for governor despite a request from President Bill Clinton. She decided not to run in the race because of the difficulty of campaigning, the "deteriorated" nature of California statewide campaigns, and her desire to continue her work in the Senate.[1] Former White House Chief of Staff Leon Panetta also decided not to run.[2]

Al Checchi, a Democratic airline executive and political newcomer, was among the first to declare for the race. Gray Davis also declared around the same time. Congresswoman Jane Harman joined the contest in early April 1998. In early polling the three candidates were within 12 points of each other, with Davis in last.[3] Harman spent $14.4 million in her race for governor.[4] Checchi spent just under $39 million on his campaign.[4] The airline executive's campaign included numerous advertisings, one of which included school children trying to pronounce his name and another with his wife speaking Spanish.[2] Checchi did not identify himself as a Democrat in most of his early campaign advertisings.[5] Harman briefly overtook Checchi in state polls but declined after Checchi launched a series of negative campaign advertisings against her.[6] Many of Feinstein's top campaign advisers worked for Harman during the Gubernatorial primary. Harman's campaign ran a biographical ad of her at the 1960 Democratic National Convention.[2]

Davis ran on the campaign slogan "experience money can't buy", and he promised to make education his top priority, which matched voters' concerns in exit polls. All three major Democratic candidates made education one of their top priorities in the campaign.[6] Davis was third in polling until the final week of the campaign, and because he had trouble raising money during the early months of the campaign, he did not run campaign advertisings early in the race as did Harman and Checchi.[2] Davis spent 9 million in total campaign funds in the primary,[4] and later criticized Checchi for giving money to Republicans Steve Forbes and Bob Dole in 1996.[2] Davis finished first in the primary, followed by Lungren, Checchi, and Harman. Lungren spent $7.7 million in the primary.[4]

Candidates

Democrat

Republican

  • Dan Lungren, incumbent attorney general
  • Dennis Peron, businessman, veteran, and activist
  • James D. Crawford
  • Eduardo M. Rivera
  • Jeff Williams

Green

Libertarian

Peace and Freedom

American Independent

  • Nathan E. Johnson

Natural Law

Results

Open primary results[7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Gray Davis 2,083,396 34.74%
Democratic Al Checchi 748,828 12.49%
Democratic Jane Harman 741,251 12.36%
Democratic Charles "Chuck" Pineda Jr. 23,367 0.39%
Democratic Pia Jensen 12,403 0.21%
Democratic Michael Palitz 12,050 0.20%
Republican Dan Lungren 2,023,618 33.75%
Republican Dennis Peron 72,613 1.21%
Republican James D. Crawford 28,881 0.48%
Republican Eduardo M. Rivera 22,222 0.37%
Republican Jeff Williams[8] 19,799 0.33%
Green Dan Hamburg 92,298 1.54%
Libertarian Steve W. Kubby 47,025 0.78%
Peace and Freedom Gloria Estela La Riva 21,505 0.36%
Peace and Freedom Marsha Feinland 15,572 0.26%
American Independent Nathan E. Johnson 19,540 0.33%
Natural Law Harold H. Bloomfield 12,422 0.21%
Invalid or blank votes 209,828 3.38%
Total votes 5,996,790[c] 100.00%

General election

Results

1998 California gubernatorial election[9]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Gray Davis 4,860,702 57.97% +17.35%
Republican Dan Lungren 3,218,030 38.38% −16.80%
Green Dan Hamburg 104,179 1.24%
Libertarian Steve Kubby 73,845 0.88% −0.84%
Peace and Freedom Gloria Estela La Riva 59,218 0.71% −0.22%
American Independent Nathan E. Johnson 37,964 0.45% −1.09%
Natural Law Harold H. Bloomfield 31,237 0.37%
Independent Gale Shangold (write-in) 16 0.00%
Independent Phillip Ashamallah (write-in) 3 0.00%
Independent Holden Charles Hollom (write-in) 1 0.00%
Independent Lark D. Jursek (write-in) 1 0.00%
Invalid or blank votes 235,925 2.73%
Majority 1,642,672 19.59%
Total votes 8,385,196[c] 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing +34.15%

Results by county

County Gray Davis
Democratic 		Dan Lungren
Republican 		Dan Hamburg
Green 		Steve Kubby
Libertarian 		Gloria
La Riva
PFP 		Nathan E. Johnson
AIP 		Harold H. Bloomfield
NLP 		Margin Total votes cast[9]
# % # % # % # % # % # % # % # %
Alameda 282,297 73.47% 86,745 22.58% 6,919 1.80% 3,041 0.79% 2,727 0.71% 1,130 0.29% 1,378 0.36% 195,552 50.89% 384,237
Alpine 285 50.35% 247 43.64% 14 2.47% 3 0.53% 8 1.41% 3 0.53% 6 1.06% 38 6.71% 566
Amador 6,614 49.20% 6,478 48.19% 86 0.64% 112 0.83% 64 0.48% 57 0.42% 32 0.24% 136 1.01% 13,443
Butte 30,184 46.00% 32,717 49.86% 1,176 1.79% 545 0.83% 362 0.55% 400 0.61% 233 0.36% -2,533 -3.86% 65,617
Calaveras 7,358 45.46% 8,150 50.35% 149 0.92% 298 1.84% 71 0.44% 101 0.62% 59 0.36% -792 -4.89% 16,186
Colusa 2,136 43.60% 2,621 53.50% 36 0.73% 39 0.80% 33 0.67% 27 0.55% 7 0.14% -485 -9.90% 4,899
Contra Costa 190,200 62.82% 103,686 34.25% 3,239 1.07% 2,241 0.74% 1,399 0.46% 967 0.32% 1,020 0.34% 86,514 28.58% 302,753[d]
Del Norte 3,820 51.34% 3,087 41.49% 242 3.25% 87 1.17% 54 0.73% 103 1.38% 47 0.63% 733 9.85% 7,440
El Dorado 25,429 43.84% 30,534 52.64% 727 1.25% 575 0.99% 260 0.45% 283 0.49% 192 0.33% -5,105 -8.80% 58,000
Fresno 82,293 47.68% 85,369 49.46% 962 0.56% 1,257 0.73% 1,421 0.82% 918 0.53% 388 0.22% -3,076 -1.78% 172,608
Glenn 3,150 41.74% 4,140 54.86% 57 0.76% 54 0.72% 46 0.61% 77 1.02% 22 0.29% -990 -13.12% 7,546
Humboldt 23,880 51.22% 17,658 37.88% 3,912 8.39% 489 1.05% 277 0.59% 204 0.44% 199 0.43% 6,222 13.35% 46,619
Imperial 13,262 56.15% 8,592 36.38% 202 0.86% 161 0.68% 1,033 4.37% 225 0.95% 144 0.61% 4,670 19.77% 23,619
Inyo 3,082 45.36% 3,377 49.70% 106 1.56% 69 1.02% 60 0.88% 70 1.03% 31 0.46% -295 -4.34% 6,795
Kern 59,132 41.80% 78,213 55.29% 840 0.59% 872 0.62% 894 0.63% 1,040 0.74% 457 0.32% -19,081 -13.49% 141,448
Kings 11,370 49.98% 10,704 47.06% 117 0.51% 116 0.51% 205 0.90% 184 0.81% 51 0.22% 666 2.93% 22,747
Lake 11,074 58.83% 6,734 35.77% 509 2.70% 208 1.10% 101 0.54% 118 0.63% 81 0.43% 4,340 23.05% 18,825
Lassen 3,792 45.85% 4,065 49.15% 83 1.00% 77 0.93% 77 0.93% 130 1.57% 46 0.56% -273 -3.30% 8,270
Los Angeles 1,297,896 65.69% 615,642 31.16% 18,736 0.95% 15,978 0.81% 14,265 0.72% 7,004 0.35% 6,140 0.31% 682,254 34.53% 1,975,672[e]
Madera 10,869 41.10% 14,864 56.20% 150 0.57% 196 0.74% 133 0.50% 162 0.61% 73 0.28% -3,995 -15.11% 26,447
Marin 70,108 68.94% 27,392 26.94% 2,171 2.13% 938 0.92% 481 0.47% 259 0.25% 344 0.34% 42,716 42.00% 101,693
Mariposa 3,005 41.86% 3,855 53.70% 88 1.23% 103 1.43% 38 0.53% 70 0.98% 20 0.28% -850 -11.84% 7,179
Mendocino 16,450 57.37% 8,659 30.20% 2,531 8.83% 456 1.59% 229 0.80% 193 0.67% 154 0.54% 7,791 27.17% 28,672
Merced 21,200 53.39% 17,535 44.16% 242 0.61% 187 0.47% 255 0.64% 194 0.49% 95 0.24% 3,665 9.23% 39,708
Modoc 1,428 40.74% 1,856 52.95% 45 1.28% 41 1.17% 39 1.11% 71 2.03% 25 0.71% -428 -12.21% 3,505
Mono 1,641 47.35% 1,640 47.32% 60 1.73% 55 1.59% 21 0.61% 24 0.69% 25 0.72% 1 0.03% 3,466
Monterey 54,464 59.76% 33,053 36.27% 1,109 1.22% 7.93 0.87% 715 0.78% 505 0.55% 497 0.55% 21,411 23.49% 91,136
Napa 25,809 59.86% 15,193 35.24% 1,021 2.37% 419 0.97% 263 0.61% 208 0.48% 201 0.47% 10,616 24.62% 43,114
Nevada 17,522 44.98% 19,720 50.62% 875 2.25% 399 1.02% 168 0.43% 146 0.37% 129 0.33% -2,198 -5.64% 38,959
Orange 318,198 44.69% 370,736 52.07% 6,622 0.93% 6,512 0.91% 4,235 0.59% 2,950 0.41% 2,807 0.39% -52,538 -7.38% 712,060
Placer 38,734 43.55% 47,745 53.68% 747 0.84% 710 0.80% 343 0.39% 370 0.42% 292 0.33% -9,011 -10.13% 88,941
Plumas 3,764 43.99% 4,472 52.26% 108 1.26% 95 1.11% 41 0.48% 49 0.57% 28 0.33% -708 -8.27% 8,557
Riverside 173,567 51.15% 155,175 45.73% 2,463 0.73% 2,275 0.67% 2,728 0.80% 1,936 0.57% 1,205 0.36% 18,392 5.42% 339,349
Sacramento 206,870 57.37% 142,970 39.65% 3,344 0.93% 2,525 0.70% 2,290 0.64% 1,544 0.43% 1,018 0.28% 63,900 17.72% 360,561
San Benito 7,531 57.42% 4,967 37.87% 127 0.97% 184 1.40% 141 1.08% 83 0.63% 83 0.63% 2,564 19.55% 13,116
San Bernardino 174,629 52.60% 144,056 43.39% 2,982 0.90% 3,177 0.96% 3,229 0.97% 2,441 0.74% 1,507 0.45% 30,573 9.21% 332,021
San Diego 364,169 49.45% 340,834 46.28% 7,742 1.05% 8,439 1.15% 6,451 0.88% 4,369 0.59% 4,420 0.60% 23,335 3.17% 736,426[f]
San Francisco 192,496 80.03% 36,464 15.16% 5,980 2.49% 2,143 0.89% 2,154 0.90% 666 0.28% 620 0.26% 156,032 64.87% 240,527[g]
San Joaquin 64,377 52.03% 56,447 45.62% 715 0.58% 653 0.53% 705 0.57% 523 0.42% 315 0.25% 7,930 6.41% 123,735
San Luis Obispo 42,543 49.04% 40,363 46.53% 1,619 1.87% 829 0.96% 539 0.62% 502 0.58% 347 0.40% 2,180 2.51% 86,743[h]
San Mateo 142,144 68.43% 59,249 28.52% 2,382 1.15% 1,780 0.86% 947 0.46% 604 0.29% 607 0.29% 82,895 39.91% 207,713
Santa Barbara 65,937 53.33% 52,873 42.76% 1,895 1.53% 955 0.77% 878 0.71% 495 0.40% 604 0.49% 13,064 10.57% 123,637
Santa Clara 270,105 64.28% 133,015 31.66% 4,992 1.19% 5,395 1.28% 3,083 0.73% 1,720 0.41% 1,865 0.44% 137,090 32.63% 420,176[d]
Santa Cruz 56,078 65.62% 23,699 27.73% 3,007 3.52% 1,179 1.38% 687 0.80% 355 0.42% 452 0.53% 32,379 37.89% 85,457
Shasta 23,076 43.28% 28,130 52.76% 479 0.90% 552 1.04% 351 0.66% 531 1.00% 196 0.37% -5,054 -9.48% 53,315
Sierra 734 41.70% 924 52.50% 29 1.65% 45 2.56% 11 0.63% 12 0.68% 5 0.28% -190 -10.80% 1,760
Siskiyou 7,493 45.54% 8,100 49.23% 256 1.56% 230 1.40% 122 0.74% 174 1.06% 79 0.48% -607 -3.69% 16,454
Solano 63,791 62.81% 34,288 33.76% 1,003 0.99% 966 0.95% 658 0.65% 458 0.45% 395 0.39% 29,503 29.05% 101,559
Sonoma 103,235 64.29% 46,616 29.03% 6,631 4.13% 1,657 1.03% 944 0.59% 763 0.48% 728 0.45% 56,619 35.26% 160,575[d]
Stanislaus 50,793 50.69% 47,095 47.00% 549 0.55% 543 0.54% 457 0.46% 535 0.53% 238 0.24% 3,698 3.69% 100,210
Sutter 9,296 42.07% 12,313 55.73% 131 0.59% 139 0.63% 73 0.33% 101 0.46% 42 0.19% -3,017 -13.65% 22,095
Tehama 8,561 46.02% 9,343 50.23% 152 0.82% 170 0.91% 141 0.76% 179 0.96% 56 0.30% -782 -4.20% 18,602
Trinity 2,447 49.01% 2,168 43.42% 132 2.64% 90 1.80% 57 1.14% 68 1.36% 31 0.62% 279 5.59% 4,993
Tulare 32,186 44.11% 39,072 53.54% 353 0.48% 493 0.68% 363 0.50% 373 0.51% 133 0.18% -6,886 -9.44% 72,973
Tuolumne 9,731 48.38% 9,771 48.58% 201 1.00% 161 0.80% 70 0.35% 117 0.58% 61 0.30% -40 -0.20% 20,112
Ventura 110,226 52.95% 91,093 43.73% 2,049 0.98% 1,616 0.78% 1,449 0.70% 911 0.44% 826 0.40% 19,133 9.19% 208,170
Yolo 31,939 63.06% 16,783 33.14% 958 1.89% 417 0.82% 264 0.52% 162 0.32% 125 0.25% 15,156 29.92% 50,648
Yuba 6,302 46.54% 6,743 49.79% 127 0.94% 106 0.78% 108 0.80% 100 0.74% 56 0.41% -441 -3.26% 13,542
Total 4,860,702 57.97% 3,218,030 38.38% 104,179 1.24% 73,845 0.88% 59,218 0.71% 37,964 0.45% 31,237 0.37% 1,642,672 19.59% 8,385,196

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

Analysis

Gray Davis won the general election by almost 20% over Dan Lungren. Davis outspent Lungren 28.6 million to 23.8 million.[4] Davis tried to portray Lungren as too conservative. In one debate, Davis attacked Lungren for voting against a Safe Drinking Water Bill in the 1980s while Lungren tried to cast himself as the political heir of former California Governor Ronald Reagan. The policy differences between Davis and Lungren were substantial. Davis was pro-abortion rights in a staunchly pro-abortion-rights state, and Lungren was anti-abortion rights. Lungren favored giving children abstinence only education. Both candidates were Roman Catholic. Al Gore, Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, and Bob Kerrey made campaign stops in California on Davis's behalf.[10][11]

Davis succeeded in casting Lungren as too far right for California. Even normally conservative San Diego County went for Davis, and – foreshadowing their Democratic trends in the 21st century — remote high mountain Mono County backed a Democratic Governor for the first time ever, and adjacent Alpine County for the first time since 1978. Upon his victory, Davis promised he would focus his attention on education and would convene a special session of the legislature.[12] The race determined who would control reapportionment of congressional districts after the 2000 census.[6]

Notes

  1. ^ Jerry Brown won 29 counties (exactly half) in 2014.
  2. ^ John R. McConnell, the Southern Democratic nominee in 1861, had won Mono County; 1861 was the first election that Mono County participated in. Independent John Bidwell also won Mono County in 1875. Until 1998, these were the only two elections in which the Republican candidate failed to carry Mono County.
  3. ^ a b Total votes cast for candidates; does not include blank votes. The percentages in the Statement of Vote are based on this total, while the percentage for blank votes is calculated using the combined total of valid votes and blank votes.
  4. ^ a b c Includes 1 for Shangold
  5. ^ Includes 9 for Shangold, 2 for Ashamallah
  6. ^ Includes 1 for Shangold, 1 for Ashamallah
  7. ^ Includes 3 for Shangold, 1 for Hollom
  8. ^ Includes 1 for Jursek

References

  1. ^ "No California Gubernatorial Bid For Sen. Feinstein". CNN. Archived from the original on February 19, 2007. Retrieved September 21, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c d e "California Governor's Race Gets Tougher". Cnn.com. March 26, 1998. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  3. ^ "Millionaires Battle In California Governor's Primary". Cnn.com. April 6, 1998. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  4. ^ a b c d e "Spending in the 1998 Governor's race". Sos.ca.gov. December 13, 2017. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  5. ^ "The "Inside Politics" Interview: The California Governor's Race". Cnn.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  6. ^ a b c "Lt. Governor Wins Primary in California". Washingtonpost.com. June 3, 1998. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  7. ^ California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote Primary Election June 2, 1998 (PDF). Sacramento, California. pp. 1–8. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "Engineered Finishing Systems | Robotics & Automation". CCIS. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  9. ^ a b California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote General Election November 3, 1998 (PDF). Sacramento, California. pp. 1–3. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
  10. ^ "Lungren, Davis Feisty In Debate Democrat scoffs as GOP hopeful invokes Reagan". Sfgate.com. October 16, 1998. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  11. ^ Carla Marinucci (July 28, 1998). "Lungren, Davis – Deep Divide Over Abortion: Candidates' religion is not common ground". Sfgate.com. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
  12. ^ "Democrats' Sweep in California Could Have Lasting Impact". Washingtonpost.com. November 5, 1998. Retrieved March 19, 2018.
source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_gubernatorial_election,_1998

    by Robert Payne

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