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 County results Congressional district resultsBrown: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Younger: 40–50% 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||||||
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The1978 California gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 1978. TheDemocratic incumbent,Jerry Brown, defeated theRepublican nomineeAttorney GeneralEvelle J. Younger andindependent candidateEd Clark in a landslide.
Primary elections were held on June 6. The party primaries were overshadowed by the results ofProposition 13, an initiative to alter the state property tax formula, which was approved on the same day. Brown had only minor opposition in the Democratic primary, and Younger defeatedLAPD chiefEdward M. Davis andKen Maddy in the Republican primary. San Diego mayorPete Wilson andJohn Briggs, the sponsor ofProposition 6 on the November ballot, also ran.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edmund G. Brown Jr. (incumbent) | 2,567,067 | 77.53% | |
| Democratic | David Rock | 132,706 | 4.01% | |
| Democratic | John Hancock Abbott | 127,506 | 3.85% | |
| Democratic | George B. Roden | 125,790 | 3.80% | |
| Democratic | Jules Kimmett | 83,339 | 2.52% | |
| Democratic | Gene Atherton | 80,224 | 2.42% | |
| Democratic | Alex D. Aloia | 67,892 | 2.05% | |
| Democratic | Raymond V. Liebenberg | 65,219 | 1.97% | |
| Democratic | Lowell Darling | 60,997 | 1.84% | |
| Democratic | Scattering | 178 | 0.01% | |
| Total votes | 3,310,918 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Evelle J. Younger | 1,008,087 | 40.04% | |
| Republican | Ed Davis | 738,087 | 29.34% | |
| Republican | Ken Maddy | 484,583 | 19.25% | |
| Republican | Pete Wilson | 230,146 | 9.14% | |
| Republican | John V. Briggs | 35,147 | 1.40% | |
| Republican | True R. Slocum Jr. | 11,824 | 0.47% | |
| Republican | Elmer L. Crutchley | 8,951 | 0.36% | |
| Republican | Scattering | 1 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 2,517,480 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Independent | Theresa F. Dietrich | 12,278 | 57.40% | |
| American Independent | Laszlo Kecskemethy | 9,112 | 42.60% | |
| Total votes | 21,390 | 100.00% | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Peace and Freedom | Marilyn Sands | 6,278 | 100.00% | |
| Total votes | 6,278 | 100.00% | ||
The primary battle left Younger short of money, while Brown had a much larger campaign fund and won reelection in a landslide.
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Edmund G. Brown Jr. (Incumbent) | 3,878,812 | 56.03% | +5.91% | |
| Republican | Evelle J. Younger | 2,526,534 | 36.50% | −10.76% | |
| Independent | Ed Clark | 377,960 | 5.46% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | Marilyn Seals | 70,864 | 1.02% | −0.18% | |
| American Independent | Theresa F. Dietrich | 67,103 | 0.97% | −0.37% | |
| Scattering | 1,105 | 0.02% | |||
| Majority | 1,352,278 | 19.53% | |||
| Total votes | 6,922,378 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratichold | Swing | +16.67% | |||
| County | Edmund G. Brown Jr. Democratic | Evelle J. Younger Republican | Ed Clark Independent | Marilyn Seals Peace & Freedom | Theresa F. Dietrich American Independent | Margin | Total votes cast[a][2] | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 217,746 | 63.81% | 88,619 | 25.97% | 24,336 | 7.13% | 7,375 | 2.16% | 3,141 | 0.92% | 129,127 | 37.84% | 341,217 |
| Alpine | 202 | 52.74% | 151 | 39.43% | 18 | 4.70% | 5 | 1.31% | 7 | 1.83% | 51 | 13.32% | 383 |
| Amador | 4,144 | 49.65% | 3,534 | 42.34% | 477 | 5.71% | 56 | 0.67% | 136 | 1.63% | 610 | 7.31% | 8,347 |
| Butte | 26,051 | 49.65% | 22,142 | 42.20% | 3,038 | 5.79% | 609 | 1.16% | 634 | 1.21% | 3,909 | 7.45% | 52,474 |
| Calaveras | 4,019 | 48.74% | 3,691 | 44.76% | 377 | 4.57% | 73 | 0.89% | 86 | 1.04% | 328 | 3.98% | 8,246 |
| Colusa | 1,958 | 45.01% | 2,005 | 46.09% | 314 | 7.22% | 37 | 0.85% | 36 | 0.83% | -47 | -1.08% | 4,350 |
| Contra Costa | 122,565 | 54.27% | 80,821 | 35.79% | 17,989 | 7.97% | 2,208 | 0.98% | 2,250 | 1.00% | 41,744 | 18.48% | 225,833 |
| Del Norte | 2,451 | 41.73% | 2,933 | 49.93% | 188 | 3.20% | 77 | 1.31% | 225 | 3.83% | -482 | -8.21% | 5,874 |
| El Dorado | 13,832 | 48.35% | 12,187 | 42.60% | 1,819 | 6.36% | 305 | 1.07% | 466 | 1.63% | 1,645 | 5.75% | 28,609 |
| Fresno | 71,657 | 55.67% | 50,950 | 39.58% | 3,653 | 2.84% | 1,135 | 0.88% | 1,324 | 1.03% | 20,707 | 16.09% | 128,719 |
| Glenn | 3,120 | 42.98% | 3,521 | 48.51% | 444 | 6.12% | 57 | 0.79% | 117 | 1.61% | -401 | -5.52% | 7,259 |
| Humboldt | 21,243 | 50.37% | 16,658 | 39.49% | 2,783 | 6.60% | 713 | 1.69% | 781 | 1.85% | 4,585 | 10.87% | 42,178 |
| Imperial | 8,385 | 46.05% | 8,629 | 47.39% | 870 | 4.78% | 157 | 0.86% | 167 | 0.92% | -244 | -1.34% | 18,208 |
| Inyo | 2,540 | 39.53% | 3,561 | 55.42% | 218 | 3.39% | 47 | 0.73% | 59 | 0.92% | -1,021 | -15.89% | 6,425 |
| Kern | 49,144 | 47.71% | 41,531 | 40.32% | 10,560 | 10.25% | 682 | 0.66% | 1,078 | 1.05% | 7,613 | 7.39% | 102,995 |
| Kings | 8,794 | 53.84% | 6,940 | 42.49% | 281 | 1.72% | 105 | 0.64% | 215 | 1.32% | 1,854 | 11.35% | 16,335 |
| Lake | 6,670 | 52.87% | 5,012 | 39.72% | 651 | 5.16% | 132 | 1.05% | 152 | 1.20% | 1,658 | 13.14% | 12,617 |
| Lassen | 3,377 | 50.34% | 2,849 | 42.47% | 324 | 4.83% | 57 | 0.85% | 102 | 1.52% | 528 | 7.87% | 6,709 |
| Los Angeles | 1,178,368 | 57.34% | 744,491 | 36.23% | 93,692 | 4.56% | 20,205 | 0.98% | 18,256 | 0.89% | 433,877 | 21.11% | 2,055,012 |
| Madera | 7,529 | 52.17% | 6,230 | 43.16% | 414 | 2.87% | 110 | 0.76% | 150 | 1.04% | 1,299 | 9.00% | 14,433 |
| Marin | 49,759 | 55.75% | 29,888 | 33.49% | 7,683 | 8.61% | 1,227 | 1.37% | 698 | 0.78% | 19,871 | 22.26% | 89,255 |
| Mariposa | 2,361 | 53.02% | 1,774 | 39.84% | 212 | 4.76% | 31 | 0.70% | 75 | 1.68% | 587 | 13.18% | 4,453 |
| Mendocino | 11,877 | 54.14% | 7,916 | 36.09% | 1,442 | 6.57% | 377 | 1.72% | 325 | 1.48% | 3,961 | 18.06% | 21,937 |
| Merced | 16,825 | 55.62% | 12,165 | 40.21% | 756 | 2.50% | 202 | 0.67% | 303 | 1.00% | 4,660 | 15.40% | 30,251 |
| Modoc | 1,235 | 40.28% | 1,616 | 52.71% | 137 | 4.47% | 27 | 0.88% | 51 | 1.66% | -381 | -12.43% | 3,066 |
| Mono | 1,042 | 44.82% | 1,164 | 50.06% | 76 | 3.27% | 18 | 0.77% | 25 | 1.08% | -122 | -5.25% | 2,325 |
| Monterey | 34,649 | 52.35% | 27,180 | 41.07% | 3,278 | 4.95% | 550 | 0.83% | 530 | 0.80% | 7,469 | 11.28% | 66,187 |
| Napa | 19,202 | 50.53% | 15,621 | 41.11% | 2,461 | 6.48% | 373 | 0.98% | 344 | 0.91% | 3,581 | 9.42% | 38,001 |
| Nevada | 9,016 | 45.36% | 8,365 | 42.09% | 2,236 | 11.25% | 123 | 0.62% | 136 | 0.68% | 651 | 3.28% | 19,876 |
| Orange | 299,577 | 48.68% | 272,076 | 44.21% | 34,903 | 5.67% | 3,845 | 0.62% | 4,976 | 0.81% | 27,501 | 4.47% | 615,377 |
| Placer | 20,384 | 51.12% | 15,563 | 39.03% | 3,342 | 8.38% | 268 | 0.67% | 321 | 0.80% | 4,821 | 12.09% | 39,878 |
| Plumas | 3,599 | 55.48% | 2,541 | 39.17% | 208 | 3.21% | 37 | 0.57% | 102 | 1.57% | 1,058 | 16.31% | 6,487 |
| Riverside | 101,377 | 54.23% | 75,564 | 40.42% | 6,982 | 3.74% | 1,235 | 0.66% | 1,772 | 0.95% | 25,813 | 13.81% | 186.930 |
| Sacramento | 139,821 | 54.91% | 88,445 | 34.74% | 21,137 | 8.30% | 2,862 | 1.12% | 2,349 | 0.92% | 51,376 | 20.18% | 254,614 |
| San Benito | 2,805 | 49.23% | 2,411 | 42.31% | 349 | 6.12% | 71 | 1.25% | 62 | 1.09% | 394 | 6.91% | 5,698 |
| San Bernardino | 115,082 | 54.01% | 86,638 | 40.66% | 7,151 | 3.36% | 1,402 | 0.66% | 2,822 | 1.32% | 28,444 | 13.35% | 213,095 |
| San Diego | 316,223 | 57.49% | 197,167 | 35.85% | 25,964 | 4.72% | 3,708 | 0.67% | 6,945 | 1.26% | 119,056 | 21.65% | 550,007 |
| San Francisco | 156,601 | 69.46% | 51,429 | 22.81% | 11,577 | 5.13% | 4,400 | 1.95% | 1,458 | 0.65% | 105,172 | 46.65% | 225,465 |
| San Joaquin | 49,169 | 52.17% | 39,425 | 41.84% | 4,063 | 4.31% | 536 | 0.57% | 1,046 | 1.11% | 9,744 | 10.34% | 94,239 |
| San Luis Obispo | 25,695 | 51.20% | 21,689 | 43.22% | 1,772 | 3.53% | 552 | 1.10% | 478 | 0.95% | 4,006 | 7.98% | 50,186 |
| San Mateo | 113,402 | 56.18% | 69,131 | 34.25% | 15,072 | 7.47% | 2,565 | 1.27% | 1,678 | 0.83% | 44,271 | 21.93% | 201,848 |
| Santa Barbara | 59,933 | 56.68% | 38,656 | 36.56% | 4,763 | 4.50% | 1,521 | 1.44% | 858 | 0.81% | 21,277 | 20.12% | 105,731 |
| Santa Clara | 227,493 | 61.35% | 110,444 | 29.79% | 25,550 | 6.89% | 3,784 | 1.02% | 3,512 | 0.95% | 117,049 | 31.57% | 370,783 |
| Santa Cruz | 40,490 | 60.85% | 20,698 | 31.11% | 3,470 | 5.21% | 1,376 | 2.07% | 506 | 0.76% | 19,792 | 29.74% | 66,540 |
| Shasta | 19,432 | 55.26% | 12,698 | 36.11% | 2,256 | 6.42% | 276 | 0.78% | 501 | 1.42% | 6,734 | 19.15% | 35,163 |
| Sierra | 725 | 49.45% | 644 | 43.93% | 71 | 4.84% | 11 | 0.75% | 15 | 1.02% | 81 | 5.53% | 1,466 |
| Siskiyou | 6,851 | 51.11% | 5,747 | 42.88% | 497 | 3.71% | 113 | 0.84% | 196 | 1.46% | 1,104 | 8.24% | 13,404 |
| Solano | 34,513 | 58.05% | 20,176 | 33.94% | 3,670 | 6.17% | 535 | 0.90% | 558 | 0.94% | 14,337 | 24.12% | 59,452 |
| Sonoma | 56,920 | 54.29% | 37,584 | 35.85% | 7,506 | 7.16% | 1,855 | 1.77% | 981 | 0.94% | 19,336 | 18.44% | 104,846 |
| Stanislaus | 36,676 | 55.62% | 25,247 | 38.29% | 2,539 | 3.85% | 678 | 1.03% | 803 | 1.22% | 11,429 | 17.33% | 65,943 |
| Sutter | 6,357 | 44.09% | 6,871 | 47.65% | 1,003 | 6.96% | 77 | 0.53% | 111 | 0.77% | -514 | -3.56% | 14,419 |
| Tehama | 5,986 | 50.25% | 5,002 | 41.99% | 635 | 5.33% | 81 | 0.68% | 208 | 1.75% | 984 | 8.26% | 11,912 |
| Trinity | 2,215 | 50.39% | 1,769 | 40.24% | 298 | 6.78% | 44 | 1.00% | 70 | 1.59% | 446 | 10.15% | 4,396 |
| Tulare | 24,989 | 46.80% | 26,136 | 48.95% | 1,322 | 2.48% | 315 | 0.59% | 634 | 1.19% | -1,147 | -2.15% | 53,396 |
| Tuolumne | 6,772 | 51.09% | 5,757 | 43.44% | 478 | 3.61% | 103 | 0.78% | 144 | 1.09% | 1,015 | 7.66% | 13,254 |
| Ventura | 75,173 | 52.78% | 57,777 | 40.57% | 6,916 | 4.86% | 854 | 0.60% | 1,703 | 1.20% | 17,396 | 12.21% | 142,423 |
| Yolo | 24,357 | 59.39% | 12,703 | 30.97% | 3,064 | 7.47% | 593 | 1.45% | 298 | 0.73% | 11,654 | 28.41% | 41,015 |
| Yuba | 6,434 | 54.84% | 4,402 | 37.52% | 675 | 5.75% | 94 | 0.80% | 127 | 1.08% | 2,032 | 17.32% | 11,732 |
| Total | 3,878,812 | 56.03% | 2,526,534 | 36.50% | 377,960 | 5.46% | 70,864 | 1.02% | 67,103 | 0.97% | 1,352,278 | 19.53% | 6,922,378 |
Jerry Brown's landslide victory ended three of the remaining four very long streaks of Republican dominance in California counties. Brown was the first Democrat to ever carryAlpine County in a gubernatorial election since its establishment in 1864. The same was true forOrange County; it had always backed the Republican candidate since its establishment in 1889. Meanwhile,Santa Barbara County backed a Democratic candidate for the first time since1882. After this election, the lone county with a long history of backing Republicans wasMono County, which had never backed a Democratic candidate since its founding in 1861[b] and would not vote Democratic until1998.
Conversely, Jerry Brown remains the most recent Democrat to carry any of the following counties:Butte County,Calaveras County,El Dorado County,Fresno County,Kern County,Lassen County,Madera County,Mariposa County,Placer County,Plumas County,Shasta County,Sierra County,Siskiyou County,Tehama County,Tuolumne County, andYuba County.
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