1992 United States Senate special election in California explained

Election Name:	1992 United States Senate special election in California
Country:	California
Type:	presidential
Ongoing:	no
Previous Election:	1988 United States Senate election in California
Previous Year:	1988
Next Election:	1994 United States Senate election in California
Next Year:	1994
Election Date:	November 3, 1992
Image1:	Dianne Feinstein congressional portrait.jpg
Nominee1:	Dianne Feinstein
Party1:	Democratic Party (United States)
Popular Vote1:	5,853,651
Percentage1:	54.29%
Nominee2:	John Seymour
Party2:	Republican Party (United States)
Popular Vote2:	4,093,501
Percentage2:	37.96%
Map Size:	300px
U.S. Senator
Before Election:	John Seymour
Before Party:	Republican Party (United States)
After Election:	Dianne Feinstein
After Party:	Democratic Party (United States)

The 1992 United States Senate special election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the regular election to the United States Senate in California. Feinstein defeated future California governor Gray Davis in the Democratic primary, while Seymour defeated William E. Dannemeyer in the Republican primary.

In this special election to complete the unexpired term of Republican Pete Wilson, who resigned to become Governor of California, incumbent Republican Senator John Seymour was defeated by former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, whom Wilson defeated in the 1990 gubernatorial election. Feinstein subsequently held seniority over fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer, who was elected on the same day; because Feinstein was elected to complete an unexpired term, she took office on November 4, only 1 day after the election, while Boxer's term commenced with the beginning of the next session of Congress in January 1993. These elections marked the first time in history that two women simultaneously served in the Senate from the same state.

Background

The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Wilson won the 1990 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Wilson appointed John Seymour to the Senate to replace himself.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Joseph Alioto
• Gray Davis, California State Controller
• Dianne Feinstein, former Mayor of San Francisco (1978–88) and nominee for Governor in 1990
• David Kearns

Results

Republican primary

Candidates

• William B. Allen, former Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and candidate for Senator in 1986 and Governor in 1990
• William E. Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from Fullerton
• John Seymour, incumbent U.S. Senator since January 1991 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson)
• Jim Trinity, retired Glendale dentist^[1]

Results

General election

By county

County	Feinstein		Seymour		Horne		Meeuwenberg		Boddie		Write-in
share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes
Alameda		72.56%		374,675	21.93%	113,223	2.30%	11,866	1.61%	8,323	1.60%	8,257	0.00%	23
Alpine		47.91%		287	42.07%	252	3.01%	18	4.51%	27	2.50%	15	0.00%	0
Amador		48.29%		7,319	42.64%	6,463	2.40%	364	4.07%	617	2.60%	394	0.00%	0
Butte		44.72%		37,396	45.57%	38,111	2.96%	2,477	3.56%	2,980	3.19%	2,666	0.00%	0
Calaveras		46.64%		7,839	42.00%	7,059	2.32%	390	5.38%	905	3.65%	614	0.00%	0
Colusa		37.58%		2,083	54.37%	3,014	2.53%	140	3.18%	176	2.35%	130	0.00%	0
Contra Costa		62.96%		229,988	31.62%	115,507	1.92%	7,011	1.77%	6,470	1.73%	6,320	0.00%	2
Del Norte		50.92%		4,696	39.66%	3,658	2.56%	236	4.98%	459	1.89%	174	0.00%	0
El Dorado		45.34%		28,957	45.56%	29,101	2.37%	1,512	3.80%	2,427	2.93%	1,873	0.00%	0
Fresno		45.07%		94,988	48.48%	102,172	2.32%	4,888	2.25%	4,740	1.88%	3,959	0.00%	4
Glenn		33.10%		2,864	56.73%	4,908	2.51%	217	4.81%	416	2.85%	247	0.00%	0
Humboldt		59.81%		35,178	33.18%	19,513	2.99%	1,756	2.13%	1,253	1.90%	1,117	0.00%	0
Imperial		48.77%		12,433	43.42%	11,070	3.77%	962	2.55%	651	1.48%	378	0.00%	0
Inyo		37.41%		3,067	52.66%	4,318	2.68%	220	4.34%	356	2.90%	238	0.00%	0
Kern		36.31%		63,661	54.46%	95,483	3.22%	5,640	3.59%	6,289	2.43%	4,258	0.00%	3
Kings		40.70%		9,805	50.29%	12,115	3.74%	901	3.57%	860	1.70%	410	0.00%	0
Lake		55.10%		12,732	35.04%	8,096	3.12%	721	3.96%	916	2.77%	641	0.00%	0
Lassen		40.39%		4,005	47.64%	4,724	3.29%	326	5.59%	554	3.10%	307	0.00%	0
Los Angeles		58.72%		1,552,223	34.03%	899,656	3.18%	84,093	2.09%	55,380	1.97%	52,123	0.00%	20
Madera		39.79%		11,682	52.14%	15,309	2.94%	862	3.63%	1,066	1.50%	441	0.00%	0
Marin		71.26%		92,205	24.61%	31,846	1.45%	1,880	0.88%	1,142	1.80%	2,328	0.00%	0
Mariposa		45.38%		3,681	43.98%	3,568	3.09%	251	5.07%	411	2.48%	201	0.00%	0
Mendocino		60.59%		22,000	30.28%	10,993	3.55%	1,290	2.86%	1,039	2.72%	988	0.00%	0
Merced		47.61%		22,010	43.79%	20,246	2.79%	1,289	2.95%	1,365	2.86%	1,323	0.00%	0
Modoc		35.77%		1,572	52.95%	2,327	3.00%	132	5.21%	229	3.07%	135	0.00%	0
Mono		45.11%		1,931	44.64%	1,911	2.83%	121	3.95%	169	3.48%	149	0.00%	0
Monterey		58.89%		66,417	34.74%	39,182	2.10%	2,369	2.30%	2,590	1.96%	2,216	0.00%	0
Napa		57.01%		29,875	35.38%	18,539	2.46%	1,288	2.93%	1,537	2.22%	1,161	0.00%	0
Nevada		46.04%		20,044	44.73%	19,476	2.90%	1,261	3.32%	1,444	3.02%	1,313	0.00%	0
Orange		39.87%		377,170	50.93%	481,810	2.86%	27,056	3.42%	32,316	2.93%	27,729	0.00%	0
Placer		45.75%		40,511	45.73%	40,497	2.38%	2,109	3.30%	2,920	2.84%	2,518	0.00%	0
Plumas		46.44%		4,647	43.64%	4,367	2.30%	230	4.53%	453	3.10%	310	0.00%	0
Riverside		44.56%		187,548	45.44%	191,258	3.52%	14,808	3.95%	16,632	2.54%	10,689	0.00%	0
Sacramento		53.77%		237,722	38.07%	168,318	2.99%	13,228	2.88%	12,716	2.29%	10,113	0.00%	1
San Benito		55.51%		6,938	37.10%	4,637	2.34%	293	2.88%	360	2.16%	270	0.00%	0
San Bernardino		44.35%		200,979	45.67%	206,969	3.64%	16,511	3.71%	16,804	2.61%	11,825	0.01%	48
San Diego		46.97%		442,855	43.63%	411,362	3.21%	30,287	3.09%	29,149	3.10%	29,212	0.00%	3
San Francisco		80.60%		250,972	15.79%	49,165	1.63%	5,062	0.62%	1,919	1.36%	4,233	0.00%	10
San Joaquin		48.90%		76,607	43.11%	67,531	2.78%	4,360	3.27%	5,123	1.94%	3,043	0.00%	1
San L. Obispo		47.47%		48,376	43.94%	44,775	2.54%	2,587	3.08%	3,134	2.97%	3,030	0.00%	0
San Mateo		67.25%		181,990	27.89%	75,470	1.84%	4,983	1.29%	3,478	1.73%	4,684	0.00%	0
Santa Barbara		49.63%		77,900	42.71%	67,043	3.43%	5,386	2.25%	3,535	1.98%	3,101	0.00%	0
Santa Clara		62.19%		364,997	30.98%	181,858	2.15%	12,646	2.20%	12,912	2.47%	14,518	0.00%	2
Santa Cruz		67.88%		76,327	25.40%	28,562	2.49%	2,801	1.84%	2,072	2.39%	2,686	0.00%	1
Shasta		37.81%		25,111	51.48%	34,192	2.90%	1,928	4.62%	3,070	3.19%	2,116	0.00%	0
Sierra		45.12%		818	44.57%	808	2.48%	45	3.47%	63	4.36%	79	0.00%	0
Siskiyou		44.35%		8,963	45.42%	9,180	2.34%	473	5.16%	1,043	2.73%	551	0.00%	0
Solano		59.83%		77,739	32.30%	41,970	2.75%	3,571	2.84%	3,696	2.28%	2,960	0.00%	0
Sonoma		62.84%		121,471	29.38%	56,793	3.02%	5,846	2.43%	4,702	2.33%	4,502	0.00%	0
Stanislaus		50.11%		62,110	41.59%	51,549	2.84%	3,519	3.49%	4,325	1.98%	2,450	0.00%	0
Sutter		36.43%		9,135	53.54%	13,427	2.38%	596	5.24%	1,313	2.42%	606	0.00%	0
Tehama		39.31%		8,253	48.19%	10,116	2.99%	627	5.43%	1,140	4.08%	856	0.00%	0
Trinity		42.41%		2,743	43.66%	2,824	3.80%	246	6.29%	407	3.83%	248	0.00%	0
Tulare		35.71%		30,665	56.46%	48,493	2.72%	2,332	3.11%	2,674	2.00%	1,720	0.00%	0
Tuolumne		50.56%		11,895	40.59%	9,550	2.90%	682	3.40%	801	2.54%	597	0.01%	2
Ventura		45.30%		119,366	46.32%	122,064	2.72%	7,167	3.04%	8,019	2.61%	6,882	0.00%	1
Yolo		61.68%		37,340	31.70%	19,191	2.18%	1,319	2.27%	1,376	2.17%	1,311	0.00%	1
Yuba		40.76%		6,890	46.63%	7,882	3.07%	518	6.09%	1,030	3.45%	584	0.00%	0

See also

• 1992 United States Senate elections
• 1992 United States Senate election in California

External links

• JoinCalifornia 1992 Special Election

Notes and References

1. News: Los Angeles Times. 13 Mar 1992. CAMPAIGN JOURNAL : Instead of Door to Door, It's Now VCR to VCR. 17 Aug 2021. Feldman. Paul. And two others vying for the same Republican Senate nomination as Dannemeyer--underfunded Claremont college professor Bill Allen and retired Glendale dentist Jim Trinity, a political unknown--have mailed campaign videos to leading Republicans and reporters in attempts to establish credibility for their long-shot campaigns..