| Election Name: | 2002 California SPI election |
| Country: | California |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1998 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election |
| Previous Year: | 1998 |
| Next Election: | 2006 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election |
| Next Year: | 2006 |
| Election Date: | March 5, 2002 |
| Nominee1: | Jack O'Connell |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 1,756,762 |
| Percentage1: | 31.41 |
| Nominee2: | Katherine H. Smith |
| Party2: | Nonpartisan candidate |
| Popular Vote2: | 1,177,783 |
| Percentage2: | 21.06 |
| Nominee3: | Lynne Leach |
| Party3: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote3: | 1,101,489 |
| Percentage3: | 19.69 |
| Map Size: | 250px |
| SPI | |
| Before Election: | Delaine Eastin |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Jack O'Connell |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 2002 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election occurred on March 5, 2002. Jack O'Connell, defeated Katherine H. Smith, Lynne C. Leach, and Joe Taylor to replace Delaine Eastin.
| County | O'Connell | Votes | Smith | Votes | Leach | Votes | Taylor | Votes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Santa Barbara | 68.88% | 47,266 | 18.79% | 12,897 | 10.25% | 7,032 | 2.08% | 1,425 | |
| San Luis Obispo | 68.51% | 37,311 | 18.31% | 9,969 | 11.25% | 6,126 | 1.93% | 1,053 | |
| Ventura | 60.44% | 68,269 | 19.02% | 21,482 | 18.14% | 20,491 | 2.40% | 2,714 | |
| San Francisco | 56.55% | 57,731 | 14.56% | 14,861 | 26.61% | 27,166 | 2.28% | 2,324 | |
| Marin | 49.09% | 24,314 | 22.28% | 11,038 | 26.20% | 12,979 | 2.43% | 1,202 | |
| Alameda | 46.66% | 83,084 | 25.78% | 45,895 | 24.31% | 43,278 | 3.25% | 5,788 | |
| Colusa | 45.61% | 1,733 | 25.84% | 982 | 24.42% | 928 | 4.13% | 157 | |
| Los Angeles | 45.45% | 374,729 | 22.20% | 182,991 | 27.62% | 227,714 | 4.73% | 38,963 | |
| San Mateo | 45.39% | 42,658 | 23.21% | 21,815 | 28.22% | 26,516 | 3.18% | 2,985 | |
| Lake | 43.02% | 4,434 | 22.52% | 2,321 | 30.70% | 3,165 | 3.76% | 388 | |
| Mendocino | 42.74% | 6,128 | 25.03% | 3,589 | 28.52% | 4,089 | 3.70% | 531 | |
| Sacramento | 42.51% | 76,943 | 27.23% | 49,282 | 26.76% | 48,423 | 3.50% | 6,336 | |
| Humboldt | 42.27% | 11,363 | 22.15% | 5,954 | 32.04% | 8,615 | 3.54% | 953 | |
| Yolo | 42.08% | 12,232 | 23.78% | 6,913 | 30.81% | 8,956 | 3.33% | 968 | |
| Santa Clara | 41.91% | 78,857 | 26.17% | 49,242 | 28.64% | 53,890 | 3.28% | 6,179 | |
| Fresno | 41.74% | 41,555 | 25.47% | 25,362 | 28.17% | 28,045 | 4.62% | 4,604 | |
| Merced | 41.42% | 10,478 | 20.85% | 5,275 | 33.74% | 8,536 | 3.98% | 1,008 | |
| Madera | 41.13% | 6,862 | 26.98% | 4,501 | 28.12% | 4,691 | 3.77% | 629 | |
| Mariposa | 40.95% | 1,993 | 25.44% | 1,238 | 30.33% | 1,476 | 3.29% | 160 | |
| Sonoma | 40.90% | 39,111 | 27.26% | 26,068 | 28.64% | 27,387 | 3.20% | 3,056 | |
| San Joaquin | 40.88% | 32,605 | 28.67% | 22,865 | 26.26% | 20,943 | 4.20% | 3,351 | |
| Santa Cruz | 40.88% | 19,641 | 29.34% | 14,095 | 27.23% | 13,080 | 2.55% | 1,225 | |
| Glenn | 40.19% | 1,824 | 27.32% | 1,240 | 26.29% | 1,193 | 6.19% | 281 | |
| Stanislaus | 40.18% | 25,000 | 25.79% | 16,045 | 29.65% | 18,446 | 4.39% | 2,730 | |
| Tehama | 40.04% | 4,917 | 23.43% | 2,878 | 29.99% | 3,683 | 6.54% | 803 | |
| Napa | 39.91% | 9,217 | 28.50% | 6,581 | 28.31% | 6,538 | 3.28% | 758 | |
| Solano | 39.44% | 20,153 | 27.02% | 13,807 | 29.45% | 15,047 | 4.09% | 2,090 | |
| Tuolumne | 39.23% | 4,828 | 30.22% | 3,720 | 27.28% | 3,358 | 3.27% | 402 | |
| San Bernardino | 38.97% | 56,909 | 26.06% | 38,050 | 31.09% | 45,394 | 3.89% | 5,678 | |
| Riverside | 38.67% | 61,317 | 23.76% | 37,673 | 33.98% | 53,882 | 3.60% | 5,707 | |
| Inyo | 38.68% | 1,888 | 23.83% | 1,163 | 33.54% | 1,637 | 3.95% | 193 | |
| Calaveras | 38.66% | 4,379 | 29.76% | 3,371 | 28.07% | 3,180 | 3.50% | 397 | |
| San Diego | 38.51% | 134,789 | 29.77% | 104,183 | 28.11% | 98,397 | 3.61% | 12,644 | |
| Mono | 37.60% | 746 | 23.34% | 463 | 36.90% | 732 | 2.17% | 43 | |
| Kings | 37.57% | 4,812 | 24.22% | 3,102 | 31.55% | 4,041 | 6.65% | 852 | |
| Trinity | 37.49% | 1,465 | 28.45% | 1,112 | 28.53% | 1,115 | 5.53% | 216 | |
| Amador | 37.50% | 3,224 | 28.10% | 2,416 | 30.23% | 2,599 | 4.18% | 359 | |
| Placer | 37.09% | 21,620 | 31.16% | 18,165 | 28.50% | 16,612 | 3.24% | 1,890 | |
| Shasta | 37.03% | 11,588 | 28.33% | 8,864 | 29.12% | 9,111 | 5.52% | 1,727 | |
| Tulare | 36.98% | 15,519 | 30.35% | 12,737 | 27.91% | 11,711 | 4.75% | 1,994 | |
| Monterey | 36.87% | 19,150 | 28.06% | 14,575 | 31.00% | 16,104 | 4.07% | 2,116 | |
| Sierra | 36.57% | 445 | 30.24% | 368 | 29.50% | 359 | 3.70% | 45 | |
| San Benito | 35.16% | 2,880 | 22.48% | 1,841 | 39.08% | 3,201 | 3.27% | 268 | |
| Plumas | 35.05% | 2,138 | 32.35% | 1,973 | 30.05% | 1,833 | 2.54% | 155 | |
| Alpine | 34.75% | 147 | 24.35% | 103 | 38.30% | 162 | 2.60% | 11 | |
| Modoc | 34.80% | 973 | 30.87% | 863 | 28.86% | 807 | 5.47% | 153 | |
| Sutter | 34.16% | 4,300 | 32.16% | 4,048 | 28.08% | 3,534 | 5.59% | 704 | |
| Butte | 33.77% | 14,664 | 34.92% | 15,160 | 27.69% | 12,021 | 3.62% | 1,573 | |
| Kern | 33.48% | 31,289 | 29.19% | 27,280 | 32.87% | 30,716 | 4.47% | 4,174 | |
| Contra Costa | 33.37% | 53,763 | 46.01% | 74,130 | 18.05% | 29,090 | 2.57% | 4,138 | |
| Del Norte | 32.93% | 1,652 | 24.64% | 1,236 | 38.94% | 1,953 | 3.49% | 175 | |
| Siskiyou | 32.50% | 3,457 | 30.87% | 3,284 | 31.88% | 3,391 | 4.75% | 505 | |
| El Dorado | 32.47% | 11,660 | 30.29% | 10,878 | 33.38% | 11,987 | 3.86% | 1,386 | |
| Orange | 32.13% | 128,998 | 28.66% | 115,088 | 35.55% | 142,723 | 3.66% | 14,708 | |
| Nevada | 31.50% | 7,932 | 34.18% | 8,607 | 30.42% | 7,660 | 3.90% | 982 | |
| Lassen | 31.47% | 2,145 | 32.55% | 2,218 | 32.21% | 2,195 | 3.77% | 257 | |
| Yuba | 31.11% | 2,785 | 31.93% | 2,859 | 32.54% | 2,913 | 4.42% | 396 | |
| Imperial | 30.92% | 4,892 | 17.52% | 2,773 | 43.81% | 6,932 | 7.75% | 1,227 |