| Election Name: | 1998 California elections |
| Country: | California |
| Type: | presidential |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1996 California elections |
| Previous Year: | 1996 |
| Election Date: | November 3, 1998 |
| Next Election: | 2000 California elections |
| Next Year: | 2000 |
| Registered: | 14,969,185[1] |
| Turnout: | 57.59% (7.94 pp) |
California's state elections were held November 3, 1998. Necessary primary elections were held on March 3. 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. Twelve ballot measures were also up for approval. Municipal offices were also included in the election.[2]
See also: 1998 California gubernatorial election. Final results from Secretary of State.[3]
See also: 1998 California lieutenant gubernatorial election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California[4]
See also: 1998 California Secretary of State election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California.[5]
See also: 1998 California State Controller election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California.[6]
See also: 1998 California State Treasurer election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California.[7]
See also: 1998 California Attorney General election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California.[8]
See also: 1998 California Insurance Commissioner election. Final results from the Secretary of State of California.[9]
Final results from the California Secretary of State:https://web.archive.org/web/20090325193935/http://vote98.sos.ca.gov/Final/sov/SOV22-24.pdf
| California Board of Equalization elections, 1998 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | ||
| Democratic | 3,974,343 | 55.79% | 2 | 0 | ||
| Republican | 2,507,252 | 35.19% | 2 | 0 | ||
| Libertarian | 509,288 | 7.15% | 0 | 0 | ||
| Peace and Freedom | 75,012 | 1.05% | 0 | 0 | ||
| Green | 58,480 | 0.82% | 0 | 0 | ||
| Invalid or blank votes | 1,596,255 | 18.30% | — | — | ||
| Totals | 8,720,630 | 100.00% | 4 | — | ||
Final results from the California Secretary of State:https://web.archive.org/web/20090325193938/http://vote98.sos.ca.gov/Final/sov/SOV49-51.pdf
| Chief Justice Ronald George | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote on retention | Votes | % | ||||
| Yes | 4,656,520 | 75.49% | ||||
| No | 1,511,953 | 24.51% | ||||
| Invalid | 2,452,648 | 28.45% | ||||
| Total votes | 8,621,121 | 100.0% | ||||
| Majority | 3,144,567 | 49.98% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Associate Justice Janice Rogers Brown, Seat 1 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote on retention | Votes | % | ||||
| Yes | 4,376,553 | 75.91% | ||||
| No | 1,389,053 | 24.09% | ||||
| Invalid | 2,855,515 | 33.12% | ||||
| Total votes | 8,621,121 | 100.0% | ||||
| Majority | 987,500 | 51.82% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Associate Justice Ming Chin, Seat 2 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote on retention | Votes | % | ||||
| Yes | 4,203,767 | 69.26% | ||||
| No | 1,865,420 | 30.74% | ||||
| Invalid | 2,551,934 | 29.60% | ||||
| Total votes | 8,621,121 | 100.0% | ||||
| Majority | 2,338,347 | 38.42% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
| Associate Justice Stanley Mosk, Seat 3 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Vote on retention | Votes | % | ||||
| Yes | 4,158,457 | 70.51% | ||||
| No | 1,739,471 | 29.49% | ||||
| Invalid | 2,723,193 | 31.59% | ||||
| Total votes | 8,621,121 | 100.0% | ||||
| Majority | 2,418,986 | 45.2% | ||||
| Turnout | ||||||
See 1998 California Courts of Appeal elections.
There are 40 seats in the State Senate. For this election, candidates running in even-numbered districts ran for four-year terms.[10]
| California State Senate - 1998 | Seats | |
| Democratic-Held | 23 | |
| Republican-Held | 16 | |
| Independent Held | 1 | |
| 1998 Elections | ||
| Democratic Held and Uncontested | 8 | |
| Contested | 20 | |
| Republican Held and Uncontested | 11 | |
| 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 Democrats retained control of the State Assembly.[11]
| California State Assembly - 1998 | Seats | |
| Democratic-Held | 43 | |
| Republican-Held | 37 | |
| 1998 Elections | ||
| Democratic Incumbent and Uncontested | 32 | |
| Republican Incumbent and Uncontested | 23 | |
| Contested, Open Seats | 25 | |
| Total | 80 | |
Twelve ballot propositions qualified to be listed on the general election ballot in California. Eight measures passed while four failed.[12] [13]
Proposition 1A would provide for a bond of $9.2 billion for funding for at least four years for class size reduction, to relieve overcrowding and accommodate student enrollment growth and to repair older schools and for wiring and cabling for education technology; and to upgrade and build new classrooms in California Community Colleges, California State University, and University of California systems. Proposition 1A passed with 62.5% approval.
Proposition 1 would amend Article XIII A of the Constitution, added by Proposition 13, to allow repair or replacement of environmentally-contaminated property or structures without increasing the tax valuation of original or replacement property. Proposition 1 passed with 71.1% of the vote.
Proposition 2 would impose repayment conditions on loans of transportation revenues to the General Fund and local entities; and designate local transportation funds as trust funds and require a transportation purpose for their use. Proposition 2 passed with 75.4% approval.
Proposition 3 would change existing open primary law to require closed, partisan primaries for purposes of selecting delegates to national presidential nominating conventions, limiting voting for such delegates to voters registered by political party. Proposition 3 failed with 46.1% approval.
Proposition 4 would prohibit trapping fur-bearing or non-game mammals with specified traps, such as poison and steel-jawed leghold traps, and would prohibit commerce in fur of such animals. Proposition 4 passed with 57.5% approval.
Proposition 5 would specify terms and conditions of mandatory compact between state and Indian tribes for gambling on tribal land. Proposition 5 passed with 62.4% approval.
Proposition 6 would make possession, transfer, or receipt of horses for slaughter for human consumption a felony, and would make the sale of horse meat for human consumption a misdemeanor. Proposition 6 passed with 59.4% approval.
Proposition 7 would authorize $218 million in state tax credits annually, until January 2011, to encourage air-emissions reductions through the acquisition, conversion, and retrofitting of vehicles and equipment. Proposition 7 failed with 43.6% approval.
Proposition 8 called for permanent class size reduction funding for districts establishing parent-teacher councils, testing for teacher credentialing, and pupil suspension for drug possession. Proposition 8 failed with 36.8% approval.
Proposition 9 would prohibit assessment of taxes, bonds, and surcharges to pay costs of nuclear power plants. Proposition 9 failed with 26.5% approval.
See main article: California Proposition 10 (1998). Proposition 10 would create state and county commissions to establish early childhood development and smoking prevention programs, and impose additional taxes on cigarettes and tobacco products. Proposition 10 passed with 50.5% approval.
Proposition 11 would authorize local governments to voluntarily enter into sales tax revenue sharing agreements by a two-thirds vote of the local city council or board of supervisors of each participating jurisdiction. Proposition 11 passed with 53.4% approval.