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California Attorney General election, 2018

From Ballotpedia


2022
2014
California Attorney General
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Top-two primary
General election
Election details
Filing deadline:March 9, 2018
Primary: June 5, 2018
General: November 6, 2018

Pre-election incumbent(s):
Xavier Becerra (Democrat)
How to vote
Poll times: 7 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Voting in California
Ballotpedia analysis
Federal and state primary competitiveness
State executive elections in 2018
Impact of term limits in 2018
State government trifectas
State government triplexes
Ballotpedia's Election Analysis Hub, 2018
California
executive elections
Governor

Lieutenant governor
Attorney general
Secretary of state
Treasurer
Controller
Insurance commissioner
Superintendent of public instruction
State board of equalization

California held an election forattorney general onNovember 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 9, 2018.

For more information about the top-two primary,click here.
For more information about attorney general elections in 2018,click here.

SETTING THE STAGE
  • Heading into the election, the sittingattorney general wasXavier Becerra (D), who was appointed to the position byGov.Jerry Brown (D) in November 2016. Becerra announced on February 9, 2017, that he would run for election to a full term in 2018.
  • Heading into the election,California was aDemocratic trifecta. It had held this status since Gov. Brown took office in 2011. California was also aDemocratic triplex.
  • TheDemocratic presidential candidate wonCalifornia in each of the past five election cycles. The widest margin of victory wasHillary Clinton's 30 percent margin in 2016 while the narrowest wasJohn Kerry's ten percent margin in 2004.

  • Candidates and election results

    General election

    General election for Attorney General of California

    IncumbentXavier Becerra defeatedSteven C. Bailey in the general election for Attorney General of California on November 6, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of Xavier Becerra
    Xavier Becerra (D)
     
    63.6
     
    7,790,743
    Image of Steven C. Bailey
    Steven C. Bailey (R)
     
    36.4
     
    4,465,587

    Ballotpedia Logo

    Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source

    Total votes: 12,256,330
    (100.00% precincts reporting)
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

    Nonpartisan primary election

    Nonpartisan primary for Attorney General of California

    IncumbentXavier Becerra andSteven C. Bailey defeatedDave Jones andEric Early in the primary for Attorney General of California on June 5, 2018.

    Candidate
    %
    Votes
    Image of Xavier Becerra
    Xavier Becerra (D)
     
    45.8
     
    3,024,611
    Image of Steven C. Bailey
    Steven C. Bailey (R)
     
    24.5
     
    1,615,859
    Image of Dave Jones
    Dave Jones (D)
     
    15.4
     
    1,017,427
    Image of Eric Early
    Eric Early (R) Candidate Connection
     
    14.3
     
    943,071

    Ballotpedia Logo

    Incumbents arebolded and underlined. The results have been certified.

    Total votes: 6,600,968
    Candidate Connection = candidate completed theBallotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
    If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you,complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

    Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data?Contact our sales team.

    State overview

    Partisan control

    This section details the partisan control of federal and state positions in California heading into the 2018 elections.

    Congressional delegation

    State executives

    • As of May 2018, Democrats held seven of 10state executive positions and the remaining three positions were officially nonpartisan.
    • The governor of California was DemocratJerry Brown.

    State legislature

    • Democrats controlled both chambers of theCalifornia State Legislature. They had a 55-25 majority in the state Assembly and a 27-13 majority in the state Senate.

    Trifecta status

    • California was astate government trifecta, meaning that Democrats held the governorship and majorities in the state house and state senate.

    2018 elections

    See also:California elections, 2018

    California held elections for the following positions in 2018:

    Demographics

    Demographic data for California
     CaliforniaU.S.
    Total population:38,993,940316,515,021
    Land area (sq mi):155,7793,531,905
    Race and ethnicity**
    White:61.8%73.6%
    Black/African American:5.9%12.6%
    Asian:13.7%5.1%
    Native American:0.7%0.8%
    Pacific Islander:0.4%0.2%
    Two or more:4.5%3%
    Hispanic/Latino:38.4%17.1%
    Education
    High school graduation rate:81.8%86.7%
    College graduation rate:31.4%29.8%
    Income
    Median household income:$61,818$53,889
    Persons below poverty level:18.2%11.3%
    Source:U.S. Census Bureau, "American Community Survey" (5-year estimates 2010-2015)
    Clickhere for more information on the 2020 census andhere for more on its impact on the redistricting process in California.
    **Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the censushere.

    As of July 2016, California had a population of approximately 39,000,000 people, with its three largest cities being Los Angeles (pop. est. 4.0 million), San Diego (pop. est. 1.4 million), and San Jose (pop. est. 1 million).[1][2]

    State election history

    This section provides an overview of federal and state elections in California from 2000 to 2016. All data comes from theCalifornia Secretary of State.

    Historical elections

    Presidential elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the presidential election in California every year from 2000 to 2016.

    Election results (President of the United States), California 2000-2016
    YearFirst-place candidateFirst-place candidate votes (%)Second-place candidateSecond-place candidate votes (%)Margin of victory (%)
    2016Democratic PartyHillary Clinton61.7%Republican PartyDonald Trump31.6%30.1%
    2012Democratic PartyBarack Obama60.2%Republican PartyMitt Romney37.1%23.1%
    2008Democratic PartyBarack Obama61.1%Republican PartyJohn McCain37%24.1%
    2004Democratic PartyJohn Kerry54.4%Republican PartyGeorge W. Bush44.4%10%
    2000Democratic PartyAl Gore53.5%Republican PartyGeorge W. Bush41.7%11.8%

    U.S. Senate elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results ofU.S. Senate races in California from 2000 to 2016. Every state has two Senate seats, and each seat goes up for election every six years. The terms of the seats are staggered so that roughly one-third of the seats are up every two years.

    Election results (U.S. Senator), California 2000-2016
    YearFirst-place candidateFirst-place candidate votes (%)Second-place candidateSecond-place candidate votes (%)Margin of victory (%)
    2016Democratic PartyKamala Harris61.6%Democratic PartyLoretta Sanchez38.4%23.2%
    2012Democratic PartyDianne Feinstein62.5%Republican PartyElizabeth Emken37.5%25%
    2010Democratic PartyBarbara Boxer52.2%Republican PartyCarly Fiorina42.2%10%
    2006Democratic PartyDianne Feinstein59.5%Republican Party Richard Mountjoy35.1%24.4%
    2004Democratic PartyBarbara Boxer57.8%Republican PartyBill Jones37.8%20%
    2000Democratic PartyDianne Feinstein55.9%Republican PartyTom Campbell36.6%19.3%

    Gubernatorial elections, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the results of the four gubernatorial elections held between 2000 and 2016. Gubernatorial elections are held every four years in California.

    Election results (Governor), California 2000-2016
    YearFirst-place candidateFirst-place candidate votes (%)Second-place candidateSecond-place candidate votes (%)Margin of victory (%)
    2014Democratic PartyJerry Brown60%Republican PartyNeel Kashkari40%20%
    2010Democratic PartyJerry Brown53.8%Republican PartyMeg Whitman40.9%12.9%
    2006Republican PartyArnold Schwarzenegger55.9%Democratic Party Phil Angelides39.0%16.9%
    2002Democratic PartyGray Davis47.3%Republican Party Bill Simon42.4%4.9%

    Congressional delegation, 2000-2016

    This chart shows the number of Democrats and Republicans who were elected to represent California in theU.S. House from 2000 to 2016. Elections for U.S. House seats are held every two years.

    Congressional delegation, California 2000-2016
    YearDemocratsDemocrats (%)RepublicansRepublicans (%)Balance of power
    2016Democratic Party3973.5%Republican Party1426.4%D+25
    2014Democratic Party3973.5%Republican Party1426.4%D+25
    2012Democratic Party3871.7%Republican Party1528.3%D+23
    2010Democratic Party3464.1%Republican Party1935.8%D+15
    2008Democratic Party3464.1%Republican Party1935.8%D+15
    2006Democratic Party3464.1%Republican Party1935.8%D+15
    2004Democratic Party3362.3%Republican Party2037.7%D+13
    2002Democratic Party3362.3%Republican Party2037.7%D+13
    2000Democratic Party3261.5%Republican Party2038.5%D+12

    Trifectas, 1992-2017

    Astate government trifecta occurs when one party controls both chambers of the state legislature and the governor's office.

    California Party Control: 1992-2026
    Twenty-one years with Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year9293949596979899000102030405060708091011121314151617181920212223242526
    GovernorRRRRRRRDDDDDRRRRRRRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
    SenateDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD
    AssemblyDDDSRDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDD


    Pivot Counties

    See also:Pivot Counties by state

    There are no Pivot Counties in California. Pivot Counties are counties that voted forBarack Obama (D) in 2008 and 2012 and forDonald Trump (R) in 2016. Altogether, the nation had 206 Pivot Counties, with most being concentrated in upper midwestern and northeastern states.

    In the 2016 presidential election,Hillary Clinton (D) won California with 61.7 percent of the vote.Donald Trump (R) received 31.6 percent. In presidential elections between 1900 and 2016, California voted Republican 53.33 percent of the time and Democratic 43.33 percent of the time. In the five presidential elections between 2000 and 2016, California voted Democratic all five times. In 2016, California had 55 electoral votes, which was the most of any state. The 55 electoral votes were 10.2 percent of all 538 available electoral votes and were 20.4 percent of the 270 electoral votes needed to win the election.

    Presidential results by legislative district

    The following table details results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections by state Assembly districts in California. Click[show] to expand the table. The "Obama," "Romney," "Clinton," and "Trump" columns describe the percent of the vote each presidential candidate received in the district. The "2012 Margin" and "2016 Margin" columns describe the margin of victory between the two presidential candidates in those years. The "Party Control" column notes which party held that seat heading into the 2018 general election. Data on the results of the 2012 and 2016 presidential elections broken down by state legislative districts was compiled byDaily Kos.[3][4]

    In 2012, Barack Obama (D) won 58 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 38.4 points. In 2016, Hillary Clinton (D) won 66 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 40.3 points. Clinton won 11 districts controlled by Republicans heading into the 2018 elections.
    In 2012, Mitt Romney (R) won 22 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 12.2 points. In 2016, Donald Trump (R) won 14 out of 80 state Assembly districts in California with an average margin of victory of 13 points.
    2016 Presidential Results by State Assembly District
    DistrictObamaRomney2012 MarginClintonTrump2016 MarginParty Control
    139.63%57.31%R+17.736.09%56.75%R+20.7R
    264.68%30.51%D+34.262.20%28.98%D+33.2D
    342.41%54.46%R+12.139.47%53.31%R+13.8R
    463.16%33.86%D+29.363.03%29.95%D+33.1D
    541.27%55.92%R+14.738.51%54.85%R+16.3R
    638.59%59.09%R+20.541.17%52.02%R+10.9R
    767.59%29.61%D+3867.63%25.69%D+41.9D
    851.72%45.62%D+6.151.77%41.03%D+10.7D
    960.56%37.52%D+2361.47%32.89%D+28.6D
    1073.76%23.28%D+50.575.65%17.96%D+57.7D
    1160.96%36.87%D+24.158.86%35.17%D+23.7D
    1245.19%52.50%R+7.343.11%51.05%R+7.9R
    1364.23%33.88%D+30.462.97%31.79%D+31.2D
    1468.80%28.72%D+40.169.55%24.47%D+45.1D
    1586.82%9.56%D+77.387.39%7.04%D+80.4D
    1657.74%40.10%D+17.664.47%29.23%D+35.2R
    1787.07%9.36%D+77.788.12%6.95%D+81.2D
    1886.89%10.23%D+76.785.89%8.44%D+77.5D
    1978.94%18.38%D+60.681.63%13.34%D+68.3D
    2075.74%22.15%D+53.675.52%19.12%D+56.4D
    2155.61%42.03%D+13.654.63%39.46%D+15.2D
    2271.43%26.31%D+45.175.16%19.75%D+55.4D
    2343.46%54.71%R+11.243.95%50.78%R+6.8R
    2472.16%24.96%D+47.278.19%15.93%D+62.3D
    2572.40%25.26%D+47.173.61%20.90%D+52.7D
    2641.15%56.68%R+15.541.54%52.93%R+11.4R
    2776.36%21.54%D+54.877.76%17.29%D+60.5D
    2866.64%30.77%D+35.970.63%23.08%D+47.6D
    2969.95%26.66%D+43.370.00%22.96%D+47D
    3066.99%30.86%D+36.166.70%27.32%D+39.4D
    3161.98%36.21%D+25.862.13%32.93%D+29.2D
    3256.20%41.81%D+14.456.50%37.98%D+18.5D
    3341.80%55.51%R+13.740.02%54.61%R+14.6R
    3433.96%63.85%R+29.934.07%60.21%R+26.1R
    3547.82%49.42%R+1.649.57%43.43%D+6.1R
    3648.79%48.48%D+0.349.94%43.86%D+6.1R
    3760.97%36.28%D+24.764.27%29.21%D+35.1D
    3846.73%50.84%R+4.149.64%44.39%D+5.2R
    3973.75%23.67%D+50.174.64%19.80%D+54.8D
    4053.14%44.72%D+8.454.08%40.01%D+14.1R
    4159.74%37.72%D+2262.82%31.27%D+31.5D
    4244.98%52.93%R+7.945.61%49.70%R+4.1R
    4367.35%29.62%D+37.768.94%25.45%D+43.5D
    4452.37%45.51%D+6.957.12%36.99%D+20.1D
    4563.46%34.12%D+29.367.36%27.39%D+40D
    4673.73%23.65%D+50.176.20%18.48%D+57.7D
    4771.49%26.54%D+44.970.10%24.80%D+45.3D
    4864.08%33.44%D+30.665.60%28.50%D+37.1D
    4964.69%33.26%D+31.467.57%27.17%D+40.4D
    5070.79%26.51%D+44.376.72%18.33%D+58.4D
    5183.48%13.50%D+7084.05%10.19%D+73.9D
    5265.01%32.92%D+32.165.78%28.71%D+37.1D
    5384.64%12.59%D+7284.83%9.63%D+75.2D
    5483.62%13.88%D+69.785.15%10.12%D+75D
    5545.77%52.23%R+6.549.92%44.61%D+5.3R
    5662.14%36.26%D+25.964.21%31.24%D+33D
    5763.71%34.01%D+29.765.92%28.39%D+37.5D
    5870.24%27.80%D+42.472.54%22.26%D+50.3D
    5993.24%5.19%D+8890.70%5.09%D+85.6D
    6051.32%46.31%D+552.48%41.97%D+10.5D
    6163.43%34.55%D+28.962.47%31.62%D+30.9D
    6280.81%17.00%D+63.882.05%13.06%D+69D
    6376.06%21.73%D+54.377.35%17.38%D+60D
    6488.74%9.98%D+78.886.21%9.61%D+76.6D
    6551.90%45.68%D+6.256.73%37.28%D+19.4D
    6654.18%43.24%D+10.959.97%33.60%D+26.4D
    6739.61%58.33%R+18.738.89%55.94%R+17.1R
    6842.55%55.12%R+12.649.42%44.58%D+4.8R
    6967.37%30.30%D+37.171.94%22.33%D+49.6D
    7067.38%29.93%D+37.568.13%25.09%D+43D
    7138.47%59.51%R+2138.19%56.26%R+18.1R
    7246.71%51.06%R+4.451.40%43.13%D+8.3R
    7338.68%59.36%R+20.743.89%50.38%R+6.5R
    7445.14%52.42%R+7.350.71%43.29%D+7.4R
    7539.42%58.50%R+19.143.22%50.68%R+7.5R
    7648.76%49.04%R+0.353.11%40.38%D+12.7R
    7748.25%49.83%R+1.655.16%38.94%D+16.2R
    7863.15%34.08%D+29.167.48%25.85%D+41.6D
    7961.21%36.91%D+24.364.24%30.04%D+34.2D
    8069.47%28.67%D+40.873.15%21.34%D+51.8D
    Total60.35%37.19%D+23.262.25%31.89%D+30.4-
    Source:Daily Kos

    Recent news

    The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the termsCalifornia attorney general election 2018. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.

    See also

    California government:

    Elections:

    Ballotpedia exclusives:

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