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Governor of California

From Ballotpedia
California Governor

Ca-state-seal.jpg

General information
Office Type:  Partisan
Office website:  Official Link
Compensation:  $224,020
2025 FY Budget:  $32,475,000
Term limits:  2 terms
Structure
Length of term:   4 years
Authority:  California Constitution, Article 5, Section 1
Selection Method:  Elected
Current Officeholder(s)

Governor of California Gavin Newsom
Democratic Party
Assumed office: January 7, 2019

Elections
Next election:  November 3, 2026
Last election:  November 8, 2022
Other California Executive Offices
Governor •Lieutenant Governor •Secretary of State •Attorney General •Treasurer •Auditor •Controller •Superintendent of Public Instruction •Agriculture Secretary •Insurance Commissioner •Natural Resources Secretary •Industrial Relations Director •Public Utilities Commission

TheGovernor of California is an elected constitutional officer, the head of the executive branch and the highest state office in California. The governor is popularly elected every four years by a plurality and is limited to two terms. The office of governor was first established in 1849, replacing the succession of military governors that had overseen the territory since its annexation the previous year.

California has a Democratictrifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

California has a Democratictriplex. The Democratic Party controls the offices of governor, secretary of state, and attorney general.

See also:California State Legislature,California State Assembly,California State Senate

Current officeholder

The current Governor of California isGavin Newsom (D). Newsom assumed office in 2019.

Authority

TheConstitution of California establishes the office of governor inArticle V, the Executive.

California Constitution, Article 5, Section 1

The supreme executive power of this State is vested in the Governor.[1]

Qualifications

State Executives
StateExecLogo.png
Current Governors
Gubernatorial Elections
2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016 •2015 •2014
Current Lt. Governors
Lt. Governor Elections
2025 •2024 •2023 •2022 •2021 •2020 •2019 •2018 •2017 •2016 •2015 •2014

The governor may not hold any other public offices, engage in any lobbying or accept any honorariums. Additionally, he or she must be a registered voter in California, a resident of the state for at least five years on election day and an American citizen for at least five years. As of July 2021, the California Secretary of State's office considered the five-year state residency requirement to run for political office to be in violation of the U.S. Constitution and required only that candidates hold U.S. citizenship.[2]

California Constitution, Article 5, Section 2

[...] The Governor shall be an elector who has been a citizen of the United States and a resident of this State for 5 years immediately preceding the Governor's election. The Governor may not hold other public office.[1]

Elections

California state government organizational chart

California elects governors in federal midterm election years, e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026, 2030 and 2034. The gubernatorial inauguration is always set for the first Monday in the new year following the election.

California Constitution, Article 5, Section 2

The Governor shall be elected every fourth year at the same time and places as members of the Assembly and hold office from the Monday after January 1 following the election until a successor qualifies.[1]

As in several other states, governors may be subject to recall elections. To initiate a recall, citizens must submit petitions signed by California voters equal in number to 12 percent of the last vote for the office of governor. Additionally, petitioners must collect signatures from each of five counties equal in number to 1 percent of the last vote for governor in the county. The most recent California gubernatorial recallelection sawGavin Newsom retain his position.

Term limits

See also:States with gubernatorial term limits

California governors are restricted to two terms in office during their lifetime.

California Constitution, Article V, Section 2

No Governor may serve more than 2 terms.[1]

Partisan composition

The chart below shows the partisan breakdown of California governors from 1992 to 2013.
Governor of California Partisanship.PNG

2022

See also:California gubernatorial election, 2022

General election

General election for Governor of California

IncumbentGavin Newsom defeatedBrian Dahle in the general election for Governor of California on November 8, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom (D)
 
59.2
 
6,470,104
Image of Brian Dahle
Brian Dahle (R)
 
40.8
 
4,462,914

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

Total votes: 10,933,018
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.

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Nonpartisan primary election

Nonpartisan primary for Governor of California

The following candidates ran in the primary for Governor of California on June 7, 2022.

Candidate
%
Votes
✔
Image of Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom (D)
 
55.9
 
3,945,748
✔
Image of Brian Dahle
Brian Dahle (R)
 
17.7
 
1,252,800
Image of Michael Shellenberger
Michael Shellenberger (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
4.1
 
290,286
Image of Jenny Rae Le Roux
Jenny Rae Le Roux (R)
 
3.5
 
246,665
Image of Anthony Trimino
Anthony Trimino (R) Candidate Connection
 
3.5
 
246,322
Image of Shawn Collins
Shawn Collins (R) Candidate Connection
 
2.5
 
173,083
Image of Luis Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez (G) Candidate Connection
 
1.8
 
124,672
Image of Leo Zacky
Leo Zacky (R)
 
1.3
 
94,521
Image of Major Williams
Major Williams (R) Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
92,580
Image of Robert Newman
Robert Newman (R)
 
1.2
 
82,849
Image of Joel Ventresca
Joel Ventresca (D)
 
0.9
 
66,885
Image of David Lozano
David Lozano (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.9
 
66,542
Ronald Anderson (R)
 
0.8
 
53,554
Image of Reinette Senum
Reinette Senum (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.8
 
53,015
Image of Armando Perez-Serrato
Armando Perez-Serrato (D)
 
0.6
 
45,474
Image of Ron Jones
Ron Jones (R)
 
0.5
 
38,337
Image of Daniel Mercuri
Daniel Mercuri (R)
 
0.5
 
36,396
Image of Heather Collins
Heather Collins (G)
 
0.4
 
29,690
Image of Anthony Fanara
Anthony Fanara (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.4
 
25,086
Image of Cristian Morales
Cristian Morales (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
22,304
Image of Lonnie Sortor
Lonnie Sortor (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
21,044
Image of Frederic Schultz
Frederic Schultz (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
17,502
Image of Woodrow Sanders III
Woodrow Sanders III (Independent)
 
0.2
 
16,204
Image of James Hanink
James Hanink (Independent)
 
0.1
 
10,110
Image of Serge Fiankan
Serge Fiankan (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
6,201
Image of Bradley Zink
Bradley Zink (Independent) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
5,997
Jeff Scott (American Independent Party of California) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
13
Gurinder Bhangoo (R) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
8

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

Total votes: 7,063,888
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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

2021

See also:Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2019-2021)

Gavin Newsom yes/no recall question

Gavin Newsom recall, 2021

Gavin Newsom won the Governor of California recall election onSeptember 14, 2021.

Recall
 Vote
%
Votes
Yes
 
38.1
 
4,894,473
✔
No
 
61.9
 
7,944,092
Total Votes
12,838,565

Ballotpedia Logo

It has been certified. Source

Gavin Newsom replacement question

General election

Special general election for Governor of California

The following candidates ran in the special general election for Governor of California on September 14, 2021.

Candidate
%
Votes
Image of Larry Elder
Larry Elder (R)
 
48.4
 
3,563,867
Image of Kevin Paffrath
Kevin Paffrath (D) Candidate Connection
 
9.6
 
706,778
Image of Kevin Faulconer
Kevin Faulconer (R)
 
8.0
 
590,346
Image of Brandon Ross
Brandon Ross (D) Candidate Connection
 
5.3
 
392,029
Image of John Cox
John Cox (R)
 
4.1
 
305,095
Image of Kevin Kiley
Kevin Kiley (R)
 
3.5
 
255,490
Image of Jacqueline McGowan
Jacqueline McGowan (D)
 
2.9
 
214,242
Image of Joel Ventresca
Joel Ventresca (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.5
 
186,345
Image of Daniel Watts
Daniel Watts (D) Candidate Connection
 
2.3
 
167,355
Image of Holly Baade
Holly Baade (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.3
 
92,218
Image of Patrick Kilpatrick
Patrick Kilpatrick (D) Candidate Connection
 
1.2
 
86,617
Image of Armando Perez-Serrato
Armando Perez-Serrato (D)
 
1.2
 
85,061
Image of Caitlyn Jenner
Caitlyn Jenner (R)
 
1.0
 
75,215
Image of John Drake
John Drake (D) Candidate Connection
 
0.9
 
68,545
Image of Daniel Kapelovitz
Daniel Kapelovitz (G)
 
0.9
 
64,375
Image of Jeff Hewitt
Jeff Hewitt (L)
 
0.7
 
50,378
Image of Ted Gaines
Ted Gaines (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.7
 
47,937
Image of Angelyne
Angelyne (No party preference)
 
0.5
 
35,900
Image of David Moore
David Moore (No party preference)
 
0.4
 
31,224
Image of Anthony Trimino
Anthony Trimino (R)
 
0.4
 
28,101
Image of Doug Ose
Doug Ose (R) (Unofficially withdrew)
 
0.4
 
26,204
Image of Michael Loebs
Michael Loebs (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
25,468
Image of Heather Collins
Heather Collins (G)
 
0.3
 
24,260
Image of Major Singh
Major Singh (No party preference)
 
0.3
 
21,394
Image of David Lozano
David Lozano (R)
 
0.3
 
19,945
Image of Denver Stoner
Denver Stoner (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.3
 
19,588
Image of Samuel Gallucci
Samuel Gallucci (R)
 
0.2
 
18,134
Image of Steven Chavez Lodge
Steven Chavez Lodge (R)
 
0.2
 
17,435
Image of Jenny Rae Le Roux
Jenny Rae Le Roux (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
16,032
Image of David Bramante
David Bramante (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.2
 
11,501
Image of Diego Martinez
Diego Martinez (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,860
Image of Robert Newman
Robert Newman (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,602
Image of Sarah Stephens
Sarah Stephens (R)
 
0.1
 
10,583
Image of Dennis Richter
Dennis Richter (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
10,468
Image of Major Williams
Major Williams (R) (Write-in)
 
0.1
 
8,965
Image of Denis Lucey
Denis Lucey (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
8,182
Image of James Hanink
James Hanink (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
7,193
Image of Daniel Mercuri
Daniel Mercuri (R)
 
0.1
 
7,110
Image of Chauncey Killens
Chauncey Killens (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
6,879
Image of Leo Zacky
Leo Zacky (R)
 
0.1
 
6,099
Image of Kevin Kaul
Kevin Kaul (No party preference)
 
0.1
 
5,600
Image of David Hillberg
David Hillberg (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
4,435
Image of Adam Papagan
Adam Papagan (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
4,021
Image of Rhonda Furin
Rhonda Furin (R)
 
0.1
 
3,964
Image of Nickolas Wildstar
Nickolas Wildstar (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.1
 
3,811
Image of Jeremiah Marciniak
Jeremiah Marciniak (No party preference) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
2,894
Image of Joe Symmon
Joe Symmon (R) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
2,397
Miki Habryn (No party preference) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
137
Roxanne (D) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
116
Stacy Smith (D) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
81
Vivek Mohan (No party preference) (Write-in) Candidate Connection
 
0.0
 
68
Thuy Hugens (American Independent Party of California) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
19
Vince Lundgren (No party preference) (Write-in)
 
0.0
 
5

Vote totals may be incomplete for this race.

Ballotpedia Logo

There were noincumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source

Total votes: 7,361,568
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.

Withdrawn or disqualified candidates

Past elections

Expand All
2018
2014


Vacancies

See also:How gubernatorial vacancies are filled

Article 5, Section 10 of thestate constitution requires theLieutenant Governor of California to assume the office of governor if the incumbent is unable to discharge the office. The legislature sets the rest of the order of precedence for filling vacancies in the office of governor. Disputes over the line of succession are under the sole jurisdiction of the California Supreme Court.

Duties

California

The governor has the power to veto bills from theCalifornia State Legislature. The legislature can override a veto by a two-thirds majority vote in both the state assembly and the state senate. The governor can veto particular items from an appropriations bill while leaving others intact.

Law-enforcement powers include the ability to grant pardons and commute sentences, excepting cases of impeachment, as well as serving as the commander-in-chief of the state militia. In addition to calling the National Guard into active duty, the governor can call the California State Military Reserve to active duty to support guardsmen.

The governor also has full membership and voting powers to the Regents of the University of California, the governing board of the University ofCalifornia system, along with other elected officials, and a majority of members on the Regents of the University of California are appointed by the governor.

Each year, the governor must make a "State of the State" address to the legislature. He or she may also order reports and information from other state officers.

Unless otherwise provided by law, the governor fills vacancies in all state offices. Specifically, vacancies in the offices ofstate school superintendent, thelieutenant governor,secretary of state,state controller,state treasurer,attorney general and on the State Board of Equalization are filled by a gubernatorial nominee with state senate confirmation.

Divisions

Updated January 14, 2021
  • Accounting
  • Advance
  • Appointments
  • Business Affairs
  • Chief of Staff Office
  • Constituent Affairs & Mailroom
  • Executive Office
  • External Affairs
  • Information Technology
  • Judicial Appointments
  • Legal Affairs
  • Legislative Affairs
  • Operations
  • Paroles/Extraditions/Commutations
  • Partnerships & Civic Engagement
  • Personnel
  • Public Affairs
    • Digital
    • Writing & Research
  • Reception
  • Scheduling
  • Social Innovation[3]

State budget

Role in state budget

See also:California state budget and finances

The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[4]

  1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies beginning inApril.
  2. Agencies submit their budget requests to thegovernor inSeptember.
  3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to thestate legislature inJanuary.
  4. The legislature adopts a budget inJune. A majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year beginsJuly 1.

California is one of 44 states in which the governor hasline item veto authority.[4][5]

The governor is required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature. In turn, the legislature is required to adopt a balanced budget.[4]

Governor's office budget

The budget for the California Governor's Office in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year was $32,475,000.[6]

Compensation

See also:Comparison of gubernatorial salaries andCompensation of state executive officers

The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passedProposition 112, an amendment to theCalifornia Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2001 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[7]

2023

In 2023, the officer's salary was $224,020, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[8]

2022

In 2022, the officer's salary was $218,556, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[9]

2021

In 2021, the governor received a salary of $209,747, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[10]

2020

In 2020, the governor's salary was increased to $209,747, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[11]

2019

In 2019, the governor's salary was increased to $201,680, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[12]

2018

In 2018, the governor's salary was increased to $195,806, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[13]

2017

In 2017, the governor's salary was increased to $190,103, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[14]

2016

In 2016, the governor's salary was increased to $182,791, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[15]

2015

In 2015, the governor's salary was increased to $177,467, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[16]

2014

In 2014, the governor received a salary of $173,987, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[17]

2013

In 2013, the governor received a salary of $173,987, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[18]

2010

In 2010, the governor received a salary of $173,987, according to theCouncil of State Governments.[19]

Historical officeholders

There have been 40 governors of California since 1849. Of the 40 officeholders, 20 were Republican, 16 were Democratic, two were Independent Democrat, one was Union, and one was American Know-Nothing.[20]

#NameTerm
1Peter H. Burnett (D)December 20, 1849-January 9, 1851
2John McDougal (D)January 9, 1851-January 8, 1852
3John Bigler (D)January 8, 1852-January 9, 1856
4John N. Johnson (Know-Nothing)January 9, 1856-January 8, 1858
5John B. Weller (D)January 8, 1858-January 9, 1860
6Milton S. Latham (D)January 9, 1860-January 14, 1860
7John G. Downey (D)January 14, 1860-January 10, 1862
8Leland Stanford (R)January 10, 1862-December 10, 1863
9Frederick F. Low (Union)December 10, 1863-December 5, 1867
10Henry H. HaightDecember 5, 1867-December 8, 1871
11Newton Booth (R)December 8, 1871-February 27, 1875
12Romualdo Pacheo (R)February 27, 1875-December 9, 1875
13William Irwin (D)December 9, 1875-January 8, 1880
14George C. Perkins (R)January 10, 1880-January 10, 1883
15George Stoneman (D)January 10, 1883-January 8, 1887
16Washington Bartlett (D)January 8, 1887-September 12, 1887
17Robert W. Waterman (R)September 12, 1887-January 8, 1891
18Henry H. Markham (R)January 8, 1891-January 11, 1895
19James H. Budd (D)January 11, 1895-January 4, 1899
20Henry T. Gage (R)January 4, 1899-January 7, 1903
21George C. Pardee (R)January 7, 1903-January 9, 1907
22James N. Gillett (R)January 9, 1907-January 3, 1911
23Hiram Johnson (Republican, Progressive)January 3, 1911-March 15, 1917
24William D. Stephens (R)March 15, 1917-January 8, 1923
25Friend William Richardson (R)January 8, 1923-January 4, 1927
26Clement C. Young (R)January 4, 1927-January 8, 1931
27James Rolph (R)January 8, 1931-June 2, 1934
28Frank F. Merriam (R)June 2, 1934-January 2, 1939
29Culbert L. Olson (D)January 2, 1939-January 4, 1943
30Earl Warren (R)January 4, 1943-October 5, 1953
31Goodwin J. Knight (R)October 5, 1953-January 5, 1959
32Pat Brown (D)January 5, 1959-January 2, 1967
33Ronald Reagan (R)January 2, 1967-January 6, 1975
34Jerry Brown (D)January 5, 1975-January 4, 1983
35George Deukmejian (R)January 3, 1983-January 7, 1991
36Pete Wilson (R)January 7, 1991-January 4, 1999
37Gray Davis (D)January 4, 1999-November 17, 2003
38Arnold Schwarzenegger (R)November 17, 2003-January 3, 2011
39Jerry Brown (D)January 3, 2011-2019
40Gavin Newsom (D)January 7, 2019-present

Noteworthy events

2025: Recall effort against Governor Newsom

See also:Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2025)

An effort torecall California GovernorGavin Newsom (D) began on March 28, 2025. Supporters of the recall had 160 days—or no later than September 4, 2025—to collect 1,311,963 signatures to require a recall election.[21] The recall effort failed to submit enough signatures. According to the final report, organizers submitted 13,485 signatures.[22][23]

Proponents of the recall effort criticized Governor Newsom for his handling of theLos Angeles County fires, the rising cost of living—including gas, electricity, and insurance—along with concerns about crime rates, homelessness, the drug epidemic, and border-related issues.[24]

The recall petition included the following statement from Governor Newsom in response to the recall effort:[25]

“

The same MAGA extremists are back with another wasteful partisan recall against Governor Gavin Newsom. This time they've sunk to a new low — exploiting the victims of the LA fires for political gain and distracting us all from the urgent work of recovery and rebuilding. Here's the worst part: Their partisan recall will waste 200 million taxpayer dollars desperately needed for emergency preparedness and response. Governor Newsom has made it clear that he won't play partisan politics with disasters—his focus is on saving lives and helping families recover. And here's the real story. No governor in history has made greater investments in fire preparedness. Newsom doubled the number of state firefighters in the field and literally built the airforce of fire-fighting planes and helicopters that put out the LA fires and saved entire neighborhoods. At the same time, Newsom has put California at the forefront in addressing climate change—the root cause of many of the extreme weather events threatening the state and the world. Governor Newsom will continue to put politics aside to protect California and deliver for people. Reject this wasteful partisan recall. /s/ Governor Gavin Newsom[26]

”

2024: Recall effort against Governor Newsom fails to submit signatures

See also:Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2024)

An effort torecallCalifornia Gov.Gavin Newsom (D) was launched in February 2024. TheCalifornia Secretary of State's office approved the recall for circulation on March 26, 2024. Supporters of the recall had 160 days—or no later than September 3, 2024[27]—to collect 1,311,963 signatures to require a recall election.[21] No signatures were submitted by the deadline.[28]

2021: Governor Newsom retained by voters in recall election

See also:Gavin Newsom recall, Governor of California (2019-2021)

California Gov.Gavin Newsom (D) was retained in a recall election on September 14, 2021. Newsom was retained 61.9% to 38.1%. Roughly 12.8 million voters participated in the election. To see the results of the replacement candidate question,click here.[29]

Voters had to decide two questions: whether Newsom should be recalled and, if so, who should replace him. A majority vote was required on the first question for the governor to be recalled. If Newsom had been recalled, the candidate with the most votes on the second question would have won the election, no majority required.[30]

Forty-six candidates, including nine Democrats and 24 Republicans, ran in the election. Approximately 7.4 million voters selected a candidate on the second question. The five candidates to receive the most votes were: radio hostLarry Elder (R) with 48.4%, YouTuberKevin Paffrath (D) with 9.6%, former San Diego MayorKevin Faulconer (R) with 8.0%, doctorBrandon Ross (D) with 5.3%, and 2018 gubernatorial candidateJohn Cox (R) with 4.1%. Eight other candidates received at least 1% of the vote.

Recall supporters said Newsom mishandled the state's response to thecoronavirus pandemic, did not do enough to address the state's homelessness rate, and supported sanctuary city policies and water rationing.[31] Newsom called the effort a "Republican recall — backed by the RNC, anti-mask and anti-vax extremists, and pro-Trump forces who want to overturn the last election and have opposed much of what we have done to fight the pandemic."[32] Newsom was electedgovernor in2018, defeating Cox 61.9% to 38.1%.

There have been 55 attempts to recall a governor since California adopted the process in 1911. The only successful effort was in 2003 when votersrecalled then-Gov.Gray Davis (D).Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) was elected as Davis' replacement.[33][34] In that election, 135 candidates ran and the winner received 48.6% of the vote.

History

Partisan balance 1992-2013

Who Runs the States Project
See also:Ballotpedia:Who Runs the States andBallotpedia:Who Runs the States, California
Partisan breakdown of the California governorship from 1992-2013

From 1992-2013, there were Democratic governors in office for eight years while there were Republican governors in office for 14 years. During the final three years of the study, California was under Democratictrifectas.

Across the country, there were 493 years of Democratic governors (44.82%) and 586 years of Republican governors (53.27%) from 1992 to 2013.

Over the course of the 22-year study, state governments became increasingly more partisan. At the outset of the study period (1992), 18 of the 49 states with partisan legislatures had single-party trifectas and 31 states had divided governments. In 2013, only 13 states had divided governments, while single-party trifectas held sway in 36 states, the most in the 22 years studied.

The chart below shows the partisan composition of theOffice of the Governor of California, theCalifornia State Senate and theCalifornia House of Representatives from 1992 to 2013.

Partisan composition of California state government(1992-2013).PNG

SQLI and partisanship

The chart below depicts the partisanship of the California state government and the state's SQLI ranking for the years studied. For the SQLI, the states were ranked from 1-50, with 1 being the best and 50 the worst. California has never had a Republican trifecta, but did have Democratic trifectas between the years 1999 and 2003 and again after 2010 to the present. California fell steadily in the SQLI ranking until finally reaching the bottom-10 in 2010. The state reached its highest ranking (28th) in 1998 and 1999, first under divided government and then under a Democratic trifecta. The state’s lowest ranking (48th) occurred recently in 2012 under a Democratic trifecta. Except for the years 1995 and 1996, the California legislature has been consistently under Democratic control.

  • SQLI average with Democratic trifecta: 37.00
  • SQLI average with Republican trifecta: N/A
  • SQLI average with divided government: 35.21
Chart displaying the partisanship of California government from 1992-2013 and the State Quality of Life Index (SQLI).

State profile

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.

Presidential voting pattern

See also:Presidential voting trends in California

Californiavoted for the Democratic candidate in all seven presidential elections between 2000 and 2024.


More California coverage on Ballotpedia

Contact information

Physical address:
1303 10th Street, Suite 1173Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: 916-445-2841
Fax: 916-558-3160

See also

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External links

Footnotes

  1. ↑1.01.11.21.3California Legislative Information, "California Constitution," accessed January 14, 2021
  2. ↑California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Office of Governor," accessed July 6, 2021
  3. ↑California State Government, "Organizational Chart," accessed January 14, 2021
  4. ↑4.04.14.2National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
  5. ↑National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024
  6. ↑California Budget, "2024-25 Budget - 0500 Governor's Office," accessed January 15, 2025
  7. ↑California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed January 14, 2021
  8. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
  9. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
  10. ↑Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
  11. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2020," accessed January 14, 2021
  12. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2019," accessed January 14, 2021
  13. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2018," accessed January 14, 2021
  14. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2017," accessed January 14, 2021
  15. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed January 14, 2021
  16. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed January 14, 2021
  17. ↑Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 14, 2021
  18. ↑Council of State Governments, "CSG Releases 2013 Governor Salaries," January 14, 2021
  19. ↑Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed January 14, 2021
  20. ↑National Governors Association, "Former California Governors," accessed January 14, 2021
  21. ↑21.021.1California Secretary of State, "County Clerk/Registrar of Voters (CC/ROV) Memorandum #25024," accessed April 4, 2025Cite error: Invalid<ref> tag; name "sos" defined multiple times with different content
  22. ↑California Secretary of State, "Cumulative Summary as of 09/29/25," accessed October 2, 2025
  23. ↑https://elections.cdn.sos.ca.gov/ccrov/2025/october/25125ra.pdfCalifornia Secretary of State, "Recall: Failure of Recall of Governor Gavin Newsom, filed by Randy Economy," accessed October 2, 2025]
  24. ↑California Globe, "Gavin Newsom Recall Petition Approved For Signature Gathering," March 31, 2025
  25. ↑Saving California, "Saving California Petition April 2025," accessed April 4, 2025
  26. ↑Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
  27. ↑The deadline for the recall was moved from September 2 to September 3 due to the observance of a state holiday.
  28. ↑Sacramento Bee, "Latest effort to recall Gavin Newsom as CA governor fails," September 3, 2024
  29. ↑CNN, "Election to recall California Gov. Gavin Newsom set for September 14," July 1, 2021
  30. ↑Cal Matters, "Recalling a California governor, explained," January 27, 2021
  31. ↑NBC News, "Recall effort against California governor an attempt to 'destabilize the political system,' analysts say," December 20, 2020
  32. ↑Los Angeles Times, "Gavin Newsom and Democrats are dragging Donald Trump into the recall fight," March 16, 2021
  33. ↑California Secretary of State, "Complete List of Recall Attempts," accessed November 16, 2020
  34. ↑San Francisco Chronicle, "Recall Gavin Newsom? The time is right, GOP activists say," November 26, 2019
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