| Election Name: | 2006 United States Senate election in California |
| Country: | California |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 2000 United States Senate election in California |
| Previous Year: | 2000 |
| Next Election: | 2012 United States Senate election in California |
| Next Year: | 2012 |
| Election Date: | November 7, 2006 |
| Image1: | File:Dianne Feinstein, official Senate photo 2 (cropped).jpg |
| Nominee1: | Dianne Feinstein |
| Party1: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote1: | 5,076,289 |
| Percentage1: | 59.43% |
| Nominee2: | Dick Mountjoy |
| Party2: | Republican Party (United States) |
| Popular Vote2: | 2,990,822 |
| Percentage2: | 35.02% |
| Map Size: | 300px |
| U.S. Senator | |
| Before Election: | Dianne Feinstein |
| Before Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
| After Election: | Dianne Feinstein |
| After Party: | Democratic Party (United States) |
The 2006 United States Senate election in California was held November 7, 2006. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein won re-election to her third full term.
Feinstein stood against Republican Dick Mountjoy, who had never held a statewide elected position, but had been a state senator for several years. Also running was Libertarian Michael Metti, Don Grundmann of the American Independent Party, Todd Chretien of the Green Party and Marsha Feinland of the Peace and Freedom Party.
Because California is a state that requires a large amount of money to wage a competitive statewide campaign, it is not unusual - as was the case for this race - for a popular incumbent to have no significant opponent. Several prominent Republicans, such as Bill Jones, Matt Fong, and others, declined to run, and a previously announced challenger, businessman Bill Mundell, withdrew his declaration after determining he would not be a self-funded candidate (as Michael Huffington was in the 1994 election). Since Feinstein's death in 2023, this is the most recent U.S. Senate election in California and latest U.S. Senate election of any state in the nation where both major party Senate nominees are deceased.[1] [2] [3]
Lost in primary
Lost in primary
On September 22, the Los Angeles Times reported that Mountjoy's official biography, as found on his campaign website, falsely asserted that he had served aboard the battleship USS Missouri during the Korean War—he had actually served aboard the heavy cruiser USS Bremerton. A review of the ships' logs corroborated this and the website was quickly changed to reflect his service aboard the Bremerton rather than the Missouri.
| Source | Ranking | As of | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| align=left | The Cook Political Report[4] | November 6, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Sabato's Crystal Ball[5] | November 6, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Rothenberg Political Report[6] | November 6, 2006 | ||
| align=left | Real Clear Politics[7] | November 6, 2006 |
| Source | Date | Feinstein (D) | Mountjoy (R) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Field Poll[8] | April 19, 2006 | 59% | 31% | |
| Los Angeles Times Poll[9] | May 28, 2006 | 59% | 30% | |
| Field Poll[10] | June 4, 2006 | 54% | 28% | |
| Rasmussen[11] | July 13, 2006 | 60% | 33% | |
| Public Policy[12] | July 26, 2006 | 42% | 21% | |
| Field Poll[13] | August 3, 2006 | 56% | 34% | |
| SurveyUSA[14] | August 28, 2006 | 56% | 34% | |
| Rasmussen[15] | August 31, 2006 | 56% | 34% | |
| Rasmussen[16] | September 12, 2006 | 58% | 35% | |
| Datamar[17] | September 18, 2006 | 49% | 38% | |
| SurveyUSA[18] | September 27, 2006 | 55% | 35% | |
| Los Angeles Times Poll[19] | September 29, 2006 | 54% | 36% | |
| Mason-Dixon[20] | October 2, 2006 | 53% | 23% | |
| Field Poll[21] | October 3, 2006 | 57% | 29% | |
| SurveyUSA[22] | October 26, 2006 | 59% | 33% | |
| Field Poll[23] | November 1, 2006 | 55% | 33% | |
| SurveyUSA[24] | November 5, 2006 | 60% | 31% | |
Feinstein won the election easily. She won almost every major populated area, winning in Los Angeles, San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Diego. Feinstein was projected the winner as soon as the polls closed at 11 P.M. EST.
Final results from the Secretary of State of California.
| County | Feinstein | Votes | Mountjoy | Votes | Others | Votes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| San Francisco | 80.54% | 187,692 | 8.31% | 19,374 | 11.15% | 25,979 | ||
| Marin | 77.56% | 82,025 | 16.82% | 17,788 | 5.62% | 5,946 | ||
| Alameda | 76.07% | 307,495 | 16.46% | 66,550 | 7.46% | 30,173 | ||
| San Mateo | 74.80% | 152,082 | 20.19% | 41,043 | 5.02% | 10,200 | ||
| Santa Cruz | 72.96% | 65,214 | 19.33% | 17,279 | 7.71% | 6,891 | ||
| Santa Clara | 69.84% | 298,451 | 24.89% | 106,383 | 5.27% | 22,521 | ||
| Sonoma | 69.50% | 119,672 | 23.01% | 39,619 | 7.49% | 12,906 | ||
| Contra Costa | 68.48% | 205,516 | 26.91% | 80,764 | 4.60% | 13,818 | ||
| Los Angeles | 67.13% | 1,298,820 | 27.72% | 536,200 | 5.15% | 99,646 | ||
| Monterey | 65.28% | 56,887 | 29.15% | 25,400 | 5.57% | 4,852 | ||
| Mendocino | 64.50% | 19,645 | 25.16% | 7,662 | 10.34% | 3,149 | ||
| Yolo | 64.25% | 34,548 | 30.10% | 16,187 | 5.65% | 3,036 | ||
| Napa | 64.05% | 27,144 | 30.58% | 12,958 | 5.37% | 2,277 | ||
| Solano | 63.06% | 64,828 | 32.06% | 32,956 | 4.89% | 5,025 | ||
| San Benito | 60.74% | 8,626 | 33.58% | 4,768 | 5.68% | 807 | ||
| Imperial | 60.02% | 13,182 | 33.41% | 7,338 | 6.57% | 1,442 | ||
| Humboldt | 58.07% | 27,652 | 31.51% | 15,003 | 10.42% | 4,964 | ||
| Alpine | 57.17% | 303 | 35.47% | 188 | 7.36% | 39 | ||
| Santa Barbara | 57.00% | 68,970 | 37.08% | 44,864 | 5.92% | 7,157 | ||
| Sacramento | 56.59% | 201,221 | 37.94% | 134,887 | 5.47% | 19,447 | ||
| Lake | 56.41% | 10,830 | 34.85% | 6,691 | 8.74% | 1,678 | ||
| San Joaquin | 54.71% | 75,011 | 40.02% | 54,874 | 5.27% | 7,224 | ||
| Merced | 53.84% | 22,081 | 41.24% | 16,914 | 4.93% | 2,021 | ||
| Ventura | 53.22% | 115,471 | 42.12% | 91,374 | 4.66% | 10,110 | ||
| San Diego | 53.03% | 403,711 | 42.39% | 322,760 | 4.58% | 34,875 | ||
| Fresno | 51.45% | 89,331 | 43.94% | 76,286 | 4.60% | 7,993 | ||
| San Luis Obispo | 50.09% | 47,891 | 44.70% | 42,742 | 5.21% | 4,977 | ||
| Nevada | 49.98% | 21,204 | 43.88% | 18,618 | 6.14% | 2,606 | ||
| San Bernardino | 49.40% | 167,821 | 45.17% | 153,430 | 5.43% | 18,442 | ||
| Trinity | 49.39% | 2,824 | 41.20% | 2,356 | 9.41% | 538 | ||
| Stanislaus | 49.30% | 50,656 | 46.24% | 47,513 | 4.47% | 4,589 | ||
| Mono | 48.98% | 1,829 | 44.38% | 1,657 | 6.64% | 248 | ||
| Riverside | 48.54% | 183,532 | 46.43% | 175,543 | 5.03% | 19,006 | ||
| Del Norte | 48.11% | 3,207 | 44.33% | 2,955 | 7.56% | 504 | ||
| Butte | 47.02% | 32,131 | 45.82% | 31,316 | 7.16% | 4,892 | ||
| Kings | 47.02% | 10,660 | 48.59% | 11,016 | 4.40% | 997 | ||
| Tuolumne | 45.52% | 9,535 | 48.83% | 10,228 | 5.65% | 1,184 | ||
| Orange | 45.13% | 321,646 | 49.66% | 353,924 | 5.21% | 37,096 | ||
| Placer | 44.53% | 53,956 | 50.85% | 61,615 | 4.62% | 5,594 | ||
| Plumas | 44.36% | 3,881 | 49.66% | 4,345 | 5.98% | 523 | ||
| Amador | 44.35% | 6,534 | 50.10% | 7,382 | 5.55% | 818 | ||
| Calaveras | 44.33% | 7,860 | 48.74% | 8,642 | 6.92% | 1,227 | ||
| El Dorado | 43.25% | 28,915 | 50.99% | 34,091 | 5.76% | 3,853 | ||
| Mariposa | 42.98% | 3,249 | 50.83% | 3,842 | 6.19% | 468 | ||
| Madera | 42.39% | 12,658 | 52.27% | 15,609 | 5.34% | 1,596 | ||
| Tulare | 42.09% | 28,694 | 53.58% | 36,526 | 4.34% | 2,956 | ||
| Inyo | 41.41% | 2,641 | 51.44% | 3,281 | 7.15% | 456 | ||
| Siskiyou | 41.20% | 6,752 | 51.46% | 8,433 | 7.34% | 1,203 | ||
| Colusa | 41.08% | 1,994 | 54.53% | 2,647 | 4.39% | 213 | ||
| Sierra | 40.67% | 641 | 51.65% | 814 | 7.68% | 121 | ||
| Yuba | 39.94% | 5,487 | 52.82% | 7,257 | 7.24% | 994 | ||
| Sutter | 39.48% | 9,297 | 55.69% | 13,113 | 4.83% | 1,138 | ||
| Kern | 39.29% | 58,330 | 55.19% | 81,944 | 5.53% | 8,205 | ||
| Tehama | 38.70% | 6,914 | 55.22% | 9,865 | 6.08% | 1,086 | ||
| Shasta | 37.94% | 22,097 | 56.45% | 32,876 | 5.61% | 3,267 | ||
| Glenn | 37.84% | 2,813 | 56.76% | 4,219 | 5.39% | 401 | ||
| Lassen | 35.06% | 2,968 | 56.93% | 4,820 | 8.01% | 678 | ||
| Modoc | 34.44% | 1,264 | 57.03% | 2,093 | 8.53% | 313 |
Campaign websites (Archived)