1879 California gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1879 California gubernatorial election
Type:	presidential
Previous Election:	1875 California gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1875
Next Election:	1882 California gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1882
Ongoing:	no
Election Date:	September 3, 1879
Image1:	George Clement Perkins (cropped).jpg
Nominee1:	George Clement Perkins
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	67,965
Percentage1:	42.42%
Nominee2:	Hugh J. Glenn
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	47,667
Percentage2:	29.75%
Image3:	3x4.svg
Nominee3:	William F. White
Party3:	Workingmen's Party of California
Popular Vote3:	44,482
Percentage3:	27.76%
Map Size:	300px
Governor
Before Election:	William Irwin
Before Party:	Democratic Party (United States)
After Election:	George C. Perkins
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1879 California gubernatorial election was held on September 3, 1879, to elect the governor of California. George Clement Perkins won a plurality of votes, marking the fourth consecutive election in which the incumbent governor's party was defeated. Earlier that year, on May 7, 1879, voters in California approved a new constitution which, effective in 1880, moved the dates of elections to even-numbered years to coincide with elections for federal offices. Thus, the next election for governor would be held on November 7, 1882. As such, Perkins' term as governor would last only three years.

Results

Results by county

County	George C. Perkins Republican		Hugh J. Glenn Democratic		William F. White Workingmen's		A. C. Clark Prohibition		Scattering Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Alameda		5,179		53.91%		1,418		14.76%		3,007		31.30%		3		0.03%		0		0.00%		2,172		22.61%		9,607
	Alpine		111		62.01%		59		32.96%		9		5.03%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		52		29.05%		179
	Amador		1,033		41.42%		1,136		45.55%		325		13.03%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-103		-4.13%		2,494
	Butte		1,715		50.06%		1,477		43.11%		233		6.80%		1		0.03%		0		0.00%		238		6.95%		3,426
	Calaveras		770		35.78%		748		34.76%		634		29.46%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		22		1.02%		2,152
	Colusa		659		29.06%		1,506		66.40%		102		4.50%		1		0.04%		0		0.00%		-847		-37.35%		2,268
	Contra Costa		919		44.76%		576		28.06%		558		27.18%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		343		16.71%		2,053
	Del Norte		269		48.47%		102		18.38%		184		33.15%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		85		15.32%		555
	El Dorado		1,163		43.22%		1,126		41.84%		402		14.94%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		37		1.37%		2,691
	Fresno		285		21.11%		951		70.44%		114		8.44%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-666		-49.33%		1,350
	Humboldt		1,317		43.77%		365		12.13%		1,327		44.10%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-10		-0.33%		3,009
	Inyo		252		44.52%		295		52.12%		19		3.36%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-43		-7.60%		566
	Kern		328		28.20%		777		66.81%		58		4.99%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-449		-38.61%		1,163
	Lake		340		25.93%		789		60.18%		182		13.88%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-449		-34.25%		1,311
	Lassen		287		39.10%		424		57.77%		21		2.86%		1		0.14%		1		0.14%		-137		-18.66%		734
	Los Angeles		1,930		28.42%		2,743		40.40%		2,093		30.82%		24		0.35%		0		0.00%		-650		-9.57%		6,790
	Marin		658		48.13%		322		23.56%		387		28.31%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		271		19.82%		1,367
	Mariposa		317		31.14%		615		60.41%		86		8.45%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-298		-29.27%		1,018
	Mendocino		752		32.30%		1,398		60.05%		176		7.56%		2		0.09%		0		0.00%		-646		-27.75%		2,328
	Merced		343		31.79%		573		53.10%		162		15.01%		1		0.09%		0		0.00%		-230		-21.32%		1,079
	Modoc		272		32.11%		565		66.71%		6		0.71%		4		0.47%		0		0.00%		-293		-34.59%		847
	Mono		786		47.01%		494		29.55%		391		23.39%		1		0.06%		0		0.00%		292		17.46%		1,672
	Monterey		839		35.61%		750		31.83%		767		32.56%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		72		3.06%		2,356
	Napa		960		41.27%		833		35.81%		529		22.74%		4		0.17%		0		0.00%		127		5.46%		2,326
	Nevada		1,755		43.06%		824		20.22%		1,496		36.70%		1		0.02%		0		0.00%		259		6.35%		4,076
	Placer		1,213		43.32%		759		27.11%		828		29.57%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		385		13.75%		2,800
	Plumas		702		53.79%		500		38.31%		100		7.66%		3		0.23%		0		0.00%		202		15.48%		1,305
	Sacramento		3,505		55.65%		1,370		21.75%		1,422		22.58%		1		0.02%		0		0.00%		2,083		33.07%		6,298
	San Benito		227		20.71%		621		56.66%		247		22.54%		0		0.00%		1		0.09%		-374		-34.12%		1,096
	San Bernardino		509		33.31%		636		41.62%		383		25.07%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-127		-8.31%		1,528
	San Diego		627		44.37%		678		47.98%		108		7.64%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-51		-3.61%		1,413
	San Francisco		18,944		45.71%		3,900		9.41%		15,593		44.86%		7		0.02%		0		0.00%		351		0.85%		41,444
	San Joaquin		2,078		45.83%		1,838		40.54%		609		13.43%		9		0.20%		0		0.00%		240		5.29%		4,534
	San Luis Obispo		631		32.44%		646		33.21%		665		34.19%		3		0.15%		0		0.00%		-19		-0.98%		1,945
	San Mateo		647		40.62%		424		26.62%		522		32.77%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		125		7.85%		1,593
	Santa Barbara		755		37.01%		689		33.77%		586		28.73%		10		0.49%		0		0.00%		66		3.24%		2,040
	Santa Clara		2,703		44.90%		1,329		22.08%		1,988		33.02%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		715		11.88%		6,020
	Santa Cruz		901		36.76%		800		32.64%		750		30.60%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		101		4.12%		2,451
	Shasta		576		35.47%		808		49.75%		240		14.78%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-232		-14.29%		1,624
	Sierra		826		54.70%		457		30.26%		225		14.90%		2		0.13%		0		0.00%		369		24.44%		1,510
	Siskiyou		666		39.20%		917		53.97%		116		6.83%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-251		-14.77%		1,699
	Solano		1,625		43.86%		918		24.78%		1,162		31.36%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		463		12.50%		3,705
	Sonoma		1,611		33.77%		2,523		52.88%		620		13.00%		17		0.36%		0		0.00%		-912		-19.12%		4,771
	Stanislaus		593		35.64%		994		59.74%		74		4.45%		3		0.18%		0		0.00%		-401		-24.10%		1,664
	Sutter		670		52.92%		470		37.12%		121		9.56%		5		0.39%		0		0.00%		200		15.80%		1,266
	Tehama		517		34.63%		864		57.87%		112		7.50%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-347		-23.24%		1,493
	Trinity		430		47.62%		307		34.00%		152		16.83%		14		1.55%		0		0.00%		123		13.62%		903
	Tulare		611		29.70%		1,259		61.21%		186		9.04%		1		0.05%		0		0.00%		-648		-31.50%		2,057
	Tuolumne		738		42.98%		579		33.72%		400		23.30%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		159		9.26%		1,717
	Ventura		321		26.62%		737		61.11%		148		12.27%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-416		-34.49%		1,206
	Yolo		1,027		40.71%		1,164		46.14%		332		13.16%		0		0.00%		0		0.00%		-137		-5.43%		2,523
	Yuba		1,073		48.93%		594		27.09%		525		23.94%		1		0.05%		0		0.00%		479		21.84%		2,193
Total	67,965	42.42%	47,647	29.74%	44,482	27.76%	119	0.07%	2	0.00%	20,318	12.68%	160,215

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Alameda
• Butte
• Calaveras
• Del Norte
• El Dorado
• Marin
• Monterey
• Napa
• Nevada
• Plumas
• Sacramento
• San Francisco
• Santa Barbara
• Santa Clara
• Santa Cruz
• Solano
• Sutter
• Trinity
• Tuolumne
• Yuba

Counties that flipped from Independent to Republican

• Alpine
• Mono
• Sierra

Counties that flipped from Independent to Democratic

• Lassen

Counties that flipped from Republican to Workingmen's

• Humboldt

Counties that flipped from Democrat to Workingmen's

• San Luis Obispo