1990 California gubernatorial election explained

Election Name:	1990 California gubernatorial election
Country:	California
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1986 California gubernatorial election
Previous Year:	1986
Next Election:	1994 California gubernatorial election
Next Year:	1994
Election Date:	November 6, 1990
Image1:	File:Pete Wilson.jpg
Nominee1:	Pete Wilson
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	3,791,904
Percentage1:	49.25%
Nominee2:	Dianne Feinstein
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	3,525,197
Percentage2:	45.78%
Governor
Before Election:	George Deukmejian
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Pete Wilson
After Party:	Republican Party (United States)

The 1990 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1990. The Republican candidate, Senator Pete Wilson, defeated the Democratic candidate, former San Francisco mayor Dianne Feinstein.

Feinstein won the Democratic nomination against opponents including California Attorney General John Van de Kamp. Wilson faced minimal opposition in his bid for the Republican nomination.

In 1992, Feinstein was elected to Wilson's former Senate seat and served in the Senate until her death in September 2023.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Donald L. Bullock
• Jeffrey T. Greene
• David M. Williams
• Pete Wilson, incumbent U.S. Senator and former mayor of San Diego

Results

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John Hancock Abbott
• Eileen Anderson
• Lydon Byrne
• Mark Calney
• Dianne Feinstein, mayor of San Francisco
• Franklin Geraty
• Charles A. Mahon III
• Charles Pineda Jr.
• Frank L. Thomas
• John van de Kamp, California Attorney General
• F. Frank Wong

Results

Minor party primaries

Peace and Freedom Party

General election results

Candidates

• Dianne Feinstein, mayor of San Francisco (Democratic)
• Jerome McCready (American Independent)
• Maria Elizabeth Muñoz (Peace and Freedom)
• Dennis Thompson (Libertarian)
• Pete Wilson, U.S. Senator (Republican)

Results

Results by county

County	Pete Wilson Republican		Dianne Feinstein Democratic		Dennis Thompson Libertarian		Jerome McCready American Independent		Maria Elizabeth Muñoz Peace & Freedom		All Others Write-in		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%		%		%		%
	Alameda		117,107		31.64%		237,345		64.12%		6,261		1.69%		4,049		1.09%		5,405		1.46%		11		0.00%		-120,238		-32.48%		370,178
	Alpine		242		52.72%		174		37.91%		14		3.05%		16		3.49%		13		2.83%		0		0.00%		68		14.81%		459
	Amador		6,469		53.99%		4,797		40.04%		261		2.18%		336		2.80%		118		0.98%		0		0.00%		1,672		13.96%		11,981
	Butte		35,048		54.93%		25,422		39.85%		1,458		2.29%		1,264		1.98%		607		0.95%		2		0.00%		9,626		15.09%		63,801
	Calaveras		7,071		52.99%		5,422		40.63%		391		2.93%		322		2.41%		139		1.04%		0		0.00%		1,649		12.36%		13,345
	Colusa		2,798		62.37%		1,455		32.43%		93		2.07%		103		2.30%		37		0.82%		0		0.00%		1,343		29.94%		4,486
	Contra Costa		119,901		43.94%		144,268		52.87%		3,703		1.36%		2,759		1.01%		2,235		0.82%		17		0.01%		-24,367		-8.93%		272,883
	Del Norte		3,615		53.21%		2,717		39.99%		140		2.06%		219		3.22%		103		1.52%		0		0.00%		898		13.22%		6,794
	El Dorado		26,452		55.81%		18,390		38.80%		780		1.65%		1,339		2.83%		432		0.91%		3		0.01%		8,062		17.01%		47,396
	Fresno		77,693		52.57%		63,523		42.98%		2,176		1.47%		2,772		1.88%		1,618		1.09%		0		0.00%		14,170		9.59%		147,782
	Glenn		4,190		61.06%		2,182		31.80%		185		2.70%		257		3.75%		48		0.70%		0		0.00%		2,008		29.26%		6,862
	Humboldt		22,943		46.81%		22,823		46.57%		951		1.94%		1,042		2.13%		1,249		2.55%		0		0.00%		120		0.24%		49,008
	Imperial		9,422		52.22%		7,463		41.36%		249		1.38%		297		1.65%		613		3.40%		0		0.00%		1,959		10.86%		18,044
	Inyo		4,566		62.97%		2,369		32.67%		114		1.57%		119		1.64%		83		1.14%		0		0.00%		2,197		30.30%		7,251
	Kern		73,065		60.08%		41,763		34.34%		2,359		1.94%		2,857		2.35%		1,568		1.29%		1		0.00%		31,302		25.74%		121,613
	Kings		9,771		56.09%		6,731		38.64%		225		1.29%		393		2.26%		299		1.72%		0		0.00%		3,040		17.45%		17,419
	Lake		8,344		47.11%		8,475		47.85%		436		2.46%		277		1.56%		178		1.01%		0		0.00%		-131		-0.74%		17,710
	Lassen		4,790		56.23%		3,152		37.00%		180		2.11%		311		3.65%		86		1.01%		0		0.00%		1,638		19.23%		8,519
	Los Angeles		867,781		46.61%		911,413		48.95%		30,157		1.62%		27,931		1.50%		24,560		1.32%		51		0.00%		-43,632		-2.34%		1,861,893
	Madera		11,216		56.50%		7,431		37.44%		323		1.63%		651		3.28%		229		1.15%		0		0.00%		3,785		19.07%		19,850
	Marin		35,563		36.77%		57,255		59.20%		1,750		1.81%		875		0.90%		1,277		1.32%		0		0.00%		-21,692		-22.43%		96,720
	Mariposa		3,336		51.88%		2,634		40.96%		146		2.27%		250		3.89%		64		1.00%		0		0.00%		702		10.92%		6,430
	Mendocino		11,723		40.86%		14,515		50.60%		700		2.44%		696		2.43%		1,054		3.67%		0		0.00%		-2,792		-9.73%		28,688
	Merced		17,054		50.64%		15,004		44.55%		514		1.53%		688		2.04%		419		1.24%		0		0.00%		2,050		6.09%		33,679
	Modoc		2,115		57.35%		1,320		35.79%		83		2.25%		123		3.34%		47		1.27%		0		0.00%		795		21.56%		3,688
	Mono		1,776		57.46%		1,124		36.36%		78		2.52%		64		2.07%		49		1.59%		0		0.00%		652		21.09%		3,091
	Monterey		34,932		42.66%		42,371		51.74%		1,554		1.90%		1,810		2.21%		1,222		1.49%		4		0.00%		-7,439		-9.08%		81,893
	Napa		18,931		47.24%		19,017		47.45%		935		2.33%		717		1.79%		473		1.18%		2		0.00%		-86		-0.21%		40,075
	Nevada		18,458		54.20%		13,588		39.90%		845		2.48%		818		2.40%		349		1.02%		0		0.00%		4,870		14.30%		34,058
	Orange		425,025		63.72%		208,886		31.32%		13,589		2.04%		13,156		1.97%		6,367		0.95%		7		0.00%		216,139		32.40%		667,030
	Placer		36,397		56.53%		24,577		38.17%		1,171		1.82%		1,593		2.47%		641		1.00%		3		0.00%		11,820		18.36%		64,382
	Plumas		4,243		51.87%		3,477		42.51%		176		2.15%		205		2.51%		78		0.95%		1		0.01%		766		9.36%		8,180
	Riverside		157,214		57.26%		102,847		37.46%		5,064		1.84%		6,809		2.48%		2,620		0.95%		1		0.00%		54,367		19.80%		274,555
	Sacramento		167,982		50.32%		149,215		44.70%		5,381		1.61%		7,248		2.17%		3,997		1.20%		25		0.01%		18,767		5.62%		333,848
	San Benito		4,120		45.23%		4,445		48.80%		185		2.03%		171		1.88%		187		2.05%		0		0.00%		-325		-3.57%		9,108
	San Bernardino		169,028		55.99%		114,764		38.02%		6,612		2.19%		7,536		2.50%		3,894		1.29%		39		0.01%		54,264		17.98%		301,873
	San Diego		383,959		57.09%		244,759		36.39%		18,217		2.71%		16,963		2.52%		8,624		1.28%		15		0.00%		139,200		20.70%		672,537
	San Francisco		56,652		25.00%		161,626		71.32%		2,938		1.30%		1,456		0.64%		3,952		1.74%		3		0.00%		-104,974		-46.32%		226,627
	San Joaquin		62,249		54.98%		46,653		41.21%		1,488		1.31%		1,916		1.69%		904		0.80%		3		0.00%		15,596		13.78%		113,213
	San Luis Obispo		38,909		53.54%		30,140		41.47%		1,513		2.08%		1,208		1.66%		900		1.24%		3		0.00%		8,769		12.07%		72,673
	San Mateo		80,253		40.45%		109,963		55.43%		3,347		1.69%		2,537		1.28%		2,290		1.15%		6		0.00%		-29,710		-14.98%		198,396
	Santa Barbara		58,677		53.11%		46,977		42.52%		1,667		1.51%		1,403		1.27%		1,746		1.58%		4		0.00%		11,700		10.59%		110,474
	Santa Clara		178,310		42.57%		218,843		52.24%		9,987		2.38%		6,544		1.56%		5,195		1.24%		13		0.00%		-40,533		-9.68%		418,892
	Santa Cruz		26,797		33.11%		48,530		59.96%		2,180		2.69%		1,694		2.09%		1,739		2.15%		1		0.00%		-21,733		-26.85%		80,941
	Shasta		28,322		57.85%		17,795		36.35%		1,195		2.44%		1,344		2.75%		305		0.62%		0		0.00%		10,527		21.50%		48,961
	Sierra		813		51.04%		671		42.12%		34		2.13%		54		3.39%		21		1.32%		0		0.00%		142		8.91%		1,593
	Siskiyou		8,320		52.61%		6,346		40.13%		446		2.82%		559		3.54%		142		0.90%		0		0.00%		1,974		12.48%		15,813
	Solano		36,755		42.50%		44,969		52.00%		1,753		2.03%		2,020		2.34%		970		1.12%		15		0.02%		-8,214		-9.50%		86,482
	Sonoma		54,706		38.60%		79,093		55.81%		2,982		2.10%		2,436		1.72%		2,505		1.77%		1		0.00%		-24,387		-17.21%		141,723
	Stanislaus		47,275		53.49%		37,182		42.07%		1,187		1.34%		1,980		2.24%		757		0.86%		1		0.00%		10,093		11.42%		88,382
	Sutter		12,647		65.45%		5,796		30.00%		318		1.65%		399		2.06%		163		0.84%		0		0.00%		6,851		35.46%		19,323
	Tehama		9,415		56.94%		5,915		35.77%		621		3.76%		498		3.01%		87		0.53%		0		0.00%		3,500		21.17%		16,536
	Trinity		2,908		51.73%		2,250		40.02%		208		3.70%		176		3.13%		80		1.42%		0		0.00%		658		11.70%		5,622
	Tulare		41,186		62.76%		21,670		33.02%		940		1.43%		1,058		1.61%		775		1.18%		0		0.00%		19,516		29.74%		65,629
	Tuolumne		10,465		52.91%		8,294		41.93%		390		1.97%		464		2.35%		167		0.84%		0		0.00%		2,171		10.98%		19,780
	Ventura		106,234		57.58%		68,139		36.93%		3,962		2.15%		3,770		2.04%		2,398		1.30%		2		0.00%		38,095		20.65%		184,505
	Yolo		19,316		43.53%		22,890		51.59%		756		1.70%		772		1.74%		638		1.44%		1		0.00%		-3,574		-8.05%		44,373
	Yuba		7,355		59.22%		4,342		34.96%		260		2.09%		337		2.71%		126		1.01%		0		0.00%		3,013		24.26%		12,420
Total	3,791,904	49.25%	3,525,197	45.78%	145,628	1.89%	139,661	1.81%	96,842	1.26%	235	0.00%	266,707	3.46%	7,699,467

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Contra Costa
• Lake
• Los Angeles
• Marin
• Mendocino
• Monterey
• Napa
• San Benito
• San Mateo
• Santa Clara
• Santa Cruz
• Solano
• Sonoma
• Yolo

By congressional district

Pete Wilson won 25 of California's 45 congressional districts including 8 districts that were won by Democrats and Dianne Feinstein won 20 of California's 45 congressional districts including 2 districts that were won by Republicans.^[1]

District	Wilson	Feinstein	Representative
		42.3%	51.6%		Frank Riggs (R)
		56.3%	37.4%		Wally Herger (R)
		49.3%	46.1%		Bob Matsui (D)
		48.7%	45.5%		Vic Fazio (D)
		26.7%	69.7%		Nancy Pelosi (D)
		32.0%	63.7%		Barbara Boxer (D)
		41.3%	54.3%		George Miller (D)
		29.0%	67.7%		Ron Dellums (D)
		37.2%	58.4%		Pete Stark (D)
		37.2%	57.2%		Don Edwards (D)
		38.2%	57.4%		Tom Lantos (D)
		45.2%	50.1%		Tom Campbell (R)
		43.7%	50.9%		Norman Mineta (D)
		56.6%	38.4%		John Doolittle (R)
		53.0%	42.3%		Gary Condit (D)
		39.6%	54.6%		Leon Panetta (D)
		59.7%	35.9%		Cal Dooley (D)
		48.3%	46.8%		Richard Lehman (D)
		52.4%	42.5%		Bob Lagomarsino (R)
		61.2%	33.3%		Bill Thomas (R)
		59.8%	35.6%		Elton Gallegly (R)
		62.9%	32.7%		Carlos Moorhead (R)
		41.0%	55.7%		Anthony Beilenson (D)
		33.7%	62.5%		Henry Waxman (D)
		34.5%	60.0%		Edward Roybal (D)
		42.4%	53.4%		Howard Berman (D)
		42.9%	52.8%		Mel Levine (D)
		27.4%	69.2%		Julian Dixon (D)
		22.2%	74.3%		Maxine Waters (D)
		46.7%	48.0%		Matthew Martinez (D)
		34.8%	60.6%		Mervyn Dymally (D)
		50.3%	44.4%		Glenn Anderson (D)
		59.4%	35.5%		David Dreier (R)
		47.0%	46.8%		Ed Torres (D)
		60.5%	33.2%		Jerry Lewis (R)
		48.3%	46.1%		George Brown (D)
		58.4%	36.5%		Al McCandless (R)
		57.4%	36.6%		Bob Dornan (R)
		66.6%	28.2%		William Dannemeyer (R)
		63.6%	32.0%		Christopher Cox (R)
		54.9%	39.5%		Bill Lowery (R)
		62.0%	33.8%		Dana Rohrabacher (R)
		64.0%	30.0%		Ron Packard (R)
		46.6%	46.1%		Duke Cunningham (R)
		60.5%	32.3%		Duncan Hunter (R)

Notes and References

1. Book: Supplement to Statement of Vote November 1990. California Secretary of State. Sacramento, California . 48-51 . 22 July 2024.