1994 California elections Registered 14,723,784[ 1] Turnout 60.45% ( 14.87 pp )[ 1]
Elections were held in California on November 8, 1994. Primary elections were held on June 7. Up for election were all the seats of the California State Assembly , 20 seats of the California Senate , seven constitutional officers, all the seats of the California Board of Equalization , as well as votes on retention of two Supreme Court justices and various appeals court judges. The Class I US Senate seat and all 52 US House seats were up for election as well.
Ten ballot measures were also up for approval. Municipal offices were also included in the election.[ 2]
1994 United States Senate election in California[ 3] [ 4]
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Dianne Feinstein (incumbent)
3,979,152
46.74%
Republican
Michael Huffington
3,817,025
44.83%
Peace and Freedom
Elizabeth Cervantes Barron
255,301
3.00%
Libertarian
Richard Benjamin Boddie
179,100
2.10%
American Independent
Paul Meeuwenberg
142,771
1.68%
Green
Barbara Blong
140,567
1.65%
Write-in
173
<0.01%
Invalid or blank votes
386,547
4.34%
Majority
162,127
1.90%
Total votes
8,514,089
100.00%
Turnout
44.94%
Democratic hold
Republicans made gains in California's House delegation, gaining three seats.
Constitutional Offices [ edit ]
1994 California gubernatorial election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Pete Wilson (incumbent )
4,781,766
55.2
Democratic
Kathleen Brown
3,519,766
40.6
Libertarian
Richard Rider
149,281
1.7
American Independent
Jerome McCready
133,870
1.5
Peace and Freedom
Gloria Estela LaRiva
80,440
0.9
No party
Write-ins
219
0.0
Invalid or blank votes
235,261
2.64
Total votes
8,900,603
100.0
Turnout
Republican hold
Lieutenant governor [ edit ]
1994 Lieutenant Governor of California election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Gray Davis
4,441,429
52.42
Republican
Cathie Wright
3,412,777
40.28
Peace and Freedom
Jaime Luis Gomez
185,254
2.19
Libertarian
Bob New
180,896
2.13
Green
Daniel Moses
160,093
1.89
American Independent
Robert W. Lewis
92,642
1.09
Invalid or blank votes
427,545
4.80
Total votes
8,473,091
100.0
Turnout
Democratic hold
1994 California Secretary of State election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Bill Jones
3,727,894
45.27
Democratic
Tony Miller
3,690,841
44.82
Green
Margaret Garcia
315,079
3.83
Libertarian
Peggy Christensen
248,748
3.02
American Independent
Dorothy Kreiss Robbins
151,720
1.84
Peace and Freedom
Israel Feuer
99,916
1.21
Invalid or blank votes
666,438
7.49
Total votes
8,900,636
100.00
Turnout
Republican gain from Democratic
1994 California State Controller election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Democratic
Kathleen Connell
3,983,053
48.32
Republican
Tom McClintock
3,796,387
46.06
Peace and Freedom
Elizabeth Nakano
182,836
2.22
American Independent
Nathan E. Johnson
152,356
1.85
Libertarian
Cullene Marie Lang
128,378
1.56
Invalid or blank votes
657,626
7.39
Total votes
8,900,636
100.00
Turnout
Democratic hold
1994 California State Treasurer election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Matt Fong
3,970,308
48.46
Democratic
Phil Angelides
3,488,891
42.58
Libertarian
John Petersen
335,452
4.09
American Independent
George M. McCoy
203,419
2.48
Peace and Freedom
Jan B. Tucker
195,667
2.39
No party
Write-ins
47
0.00
Invalid or blank votes
706,852
7.94
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
Republican gain from Democratic
Insurance Commissioner [ edit ]
1994 California Insurance Commissioner election
Party
Candidate
Votes
%
Republican
Chuck Quackenbush
4,015,858
48.82
Democratic
Art Torres
3,567,996
43.38
Libertarian
Ted Brown
346,007
4.21
Peace and Freedom
Tom Condit
150,844
1.83
American Independent
A. Jacques
144,782
1.76
Invalid or blank votes
675,149
7.59
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
Republican gain from Democratic
Superintendent of Public Instruction [ edit ]
California State Superintendent of Public Instruction election, 1994[ 5]
Candidate
Votes
%
Delaine Eastin
3,892,681
55.60
Maureen DiMarco
3,108,221
44.40
Hal Rice (write-in )
20
0.00
Invalid or blank votes
1,899,714
21.34
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
{{{votes}}}
%
Board of Equalization [ edit ]
California Board of Equalization elections, 1994
Party
Votes
Percentage
Seats
+/–
Republican
3,684,744
48.04%
2
0
Democratic
3,388,312
44.17%
2
0
Libertarian
327,040
4.26%
0
0
American Independent
140,030
1.83%
0
0
Peace and Freedom
130,761
1.70%
0
0
Invalid or blank votes
1,180,321
13.34%
—
—
Totals
8,851,208
100.00%
4
—
Associate Justice Ronald George , Seat 1
Vote on retention
Votes
%
Yes
3,153,849
57.02
No
2,376,799
42.98
Invalid
3,369,988
37.85
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
Associate Justice Joyce Kennard , Seat 2
Vote on retention
Votes
%
Yes
3,336,442
58.67
No
2,350,567
41.33
Invalid
3,213,627
36.11
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
Associate Justice Kathryn Werdegar , Seat 3
Vote on retention
Votes
%
Yes
3,423,582
61.34
No
2,158,181
38.66
Invalid
3,318,873
37.29
Total votes
8,900,636
100.0
Turnout
Legislature elections [ edit ]
There are 40 seats in the State Senate . For this election, candidates running in even-numbered districts ran for four-year terms.
California State Senate - 1994
Seats
Democratic -Held
21
Republican -Held
17
Independent Held
2
1994 Elections
Republican Held and Uncontested
11
Contested
20
Democratic Held and Uncontested
8
Independent Held and Uncontested
1
Total
40
All 80 biennially elected seats of the State Assembly were up for election this year. Each seat has a two-year term. The Republicans took narrow control of the State Assembly.
California State Assembly - 1994
Seats
Republican-Held
41
Democratic-Held
39
1994 Elections
Democratic Incumbent and Uncontested
34
Republican Incumbent and Uncontested
23
Contested, Open Seats
23
Total
80
Statewide ballot propositions [ edit ]
Ten ballot propositions qualified to be listed on the general election ballot in California. Eight measures passed while four failed.
(Passenger Rail and Clean Air Bond Act of 1994.) Proposition 181 failed with 34.92% of the vote.
Proposition 181 results by county 80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
Passed by voters, but courts struck it down.
(Recall Elections. State Officers.) Proposition 183 passed with 67.47% of the vote.
Proposition 183 results by county
(Increased Sentences. Repeat Offenders (Three Strikes)) Proposition 184 passed with 71.85% of the vote.
Proposition 184 results by county 80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
(Public Transportation Trust Funds. Gasoline Sales Tax. Initiative Statute.) Proposition 185 failed with 19.47% of the vote.
Proposition 185 results by county 90–100%
80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
(Health Services. Taxes.) Proposition 186 failed with 26.58% of the vote.
Proposition 186 results by county 80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
(Illegal Aliens. Ineligibility for Public Services. Verification and Reporting.) Proposition 187 passed with 58.93% of the vote.
Proposition 187 results by county
(Smoking and Tobacco Products. Local Preemption. Statewide Regulation.) Proposition 188 failed with 29.31% of the vote.
Proposition 188 results by county 80–90%
70–80%
60–70%
50–60%
(Bail Exception. Felony Sexual Assault.) Proposition 189 passed with 79.41% of the vote.
Proposition 189 results by county
(Commission on Judicial Performance) Proposition 190 passed with 63.87% of the vote.
Proposition 190 results by county
(Abolish Justice Courts) Proposition 191 passed with 61.05% of the vote.
Proposition 191 results by county
^ a b "Historical Voter Registration and Participation" (PDF) . California Secretary of State.
^ "Statement of Vote to the 1994 general election" (PDF) . Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2008 .
^ Jones, Bill (December 16, 1994). "STATEMENT OF VOTE: November 8, 1994, General Election" (PDF) . Office of the California Secretary of State . p. xii,37. Retrieved November 17, 2020 .
^ Clerk of the United States House of Representatives . "STATISTICS OF THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTION OF NOVEMBER 8, 1994" (PDF) . United States House of Representatives. p. 3,6. Retrieved November 16, 2020 .
^ Election Results from the Secretary of State