1970 California gubernatorial election

The 1970 California gubernatorial election was held on November 3, 1970. The incumbent governor, Republican Ronald Reagan, won re-election over Democrat and Speaker of the Assembly Jesse Unruh. This would be the closest victory of Ronald Reagan's entire political career.

Republican primary

Candidates Ronald Reagan, incumbent governor since 1967

Results

Democratic primary Candidates

Walter R. Buchanan Jack W. Clapper Florence E. Douglas, mayor of Vallejo since 1955 Raymond L. Haight Jr., high school history teacher, anti-war advocate, and son of Raymond Haight Harry F. May Eddie M. Ramirez, Boyle Heights (Los Angeles) pharmacist Joseph S. Ramos Jesse M. Unruh, former Speaker of the California Assembly (196169) and Assemblyman from Marina del Rey George H. Wagner Samuel William Yorty, mayor of Los Angeles since 1961

Results

Other primaries American Independent Party

Peace and Freedom Party

General election results

Results by county County Ronald ReaganRepublican Jesse M. UnruhDemocratic Ricardo RomoPeace & Freedom William K. ShearerAmerican Independent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # %Alameda162,72743.05%206,69354.68%5,5911.48%2,9750.79%-43,966-11.63%377,986Alpine20366.34%8929.08%41.31%103.27%11437.25%306Amador2,86653.12%2,44545.32%280.52%561.04%4217.80%5,395Butte22,65662.82%12,55834.82%4291.19%4201.16%10,09828.00%36,063Calaveras3,49963.10%1,94735.11%440.79%550.99%1,55227.99%5,545Colusa2,30257.69%1,62740.78%260.65%350.88%67516.92%3,990Contra Costa106,96553.15%91,15645.30%1,3230.66%1,8000.89%15,8097.86%201,244Del Norte2,75557.13%1,97741.00%370.77%531.10%77816.13%4,822El Dorado7,93256.59%5,81841.51%650.46%2021.44%2,11415.08%14,017Fresno60,64448.74%61,80149.67%7520.60%1,2270.99%-1,157-0.93%124,424Glenn3,80559.37%2,48238.73%390.61%831.30%1,32320.64%6,409Humboldt16,77851.12%15,23246.41%4001.22%4101.25%1,5464.71%32,820Imperial10,63658.47%7,00638.51%3521.93%1981.09%3,63019.95%18,192Inyo4,00663.50%2,20234.90%430.68%580.92%1,80428.59%6,309Kern54,21655.19%41,76842.52%5340.54%1,7101.74%12,44812.67%98,228Kings8,06849.11%8,13449.52%1070.65%1180.72%-66-0.40%16,427Lake5,31758.18%3,68340.30%460.50%931.02%1,63417.88%9,139Lassen2,49444.93%2,91152.44%440.79%1021.84%-417-7.51%5,551Los Angeles1,173,16150.74%1,095,89947.40%21,8910.95%21,3120.92%77,2623.34%2,312,263Madera6,20548.94%6,30449.72%730.58%960.76%-99-0.78%12,678Marin43,09256.56%31,52541.38%9391.23%6320.83%11,56715.18%76,188Mariposa1,56857.46%1,11140.71%140.51%361.32%45716.75%2,729Mendocino9,13453.33%7,61444.46%1260.74%2521.47%1,5208.88%17,126Merced12,11749.64%11,84048.50%2471.01%2070.85%2771.13%24,411Modoc1,76059.40%1,13838.41%240.81%411.38%62220.99%2,963Mono1,35073.09%46024.91%211.14%160.87%89048.19%1,847Monterey33,69156.63%24,50841.19%7221.21%5750.97%9,18315.43%59,496Napa16,84455.29%13,01842.73%1610.53%4421.45%3,82612.56%30,465Nevada6,75659.45%4,44239.09%770.68%890.78%2,31420.36%11,364Orange308,98266.89%145,42031.48%2,9810.65%4,5570.99%163,56235.41%461,940Placer13,88649.37%13,75148.89%1490.53%3421.22%1350.48%28,128Plumas2,28044.97%2,67852.82%270.53%851.68%-398-7.85%5,070Riverside81,76856.60%59,42541.13%1,7351.20%1,5381.06%22,34315.47%144,466Sacramento105,52346.04%120,36552.52%1,3780.60%1,9250.84%-14,842-6.48%229,191San Benito3,13459.54%1,99337.86%901.71%470.89%1,14121.68%5,264San Bernardino107,21956.57%77,06940.66%2,9461.55%2,2941.21%30,15015.91%189,528San Diego253,37860.11%158,09837.51%4,1610.99%5,8861.40%95,28022.60%421,523San Francisco106,60641.97%140,82955.44%3,9581.56%2,6251.03%-34,223-13.47%254,018San Joaquin50,63155.25%39,49543.10%6820.74%8330.91%11,13612.15%91,641San Luis Obispo18,30155.84%13,75841.98%2920.89%4251.30%4,54313.86%32,776San Mateo109,35654.31%88,06943.74%1,8200.90%2,1211.05%21,28710.57%201,366Santa Barbara51,52360.10%32,20237.56%1,3621.59%6380.74%19,32122.54%85,725Santa Clara172,56251.47%154,57046.10%4,6831.40%3,4751.04%17,9925.37%335,290Santa Cruz26,67958.07%18,18639.58%6341.38%4450.97%8,49318.49%45,944Shasta11,86443.93%14,64354.22%1560.58%3431.27%-2,779-10.29%27,006Sierra61746.92%67451.25%70.53%171.29%-57-4.33%1,315Siskiyou6,09249.58%5,92048.18%960.78%1801.46%1721.40%12,288Solano21,93948.43%21,58347.64%7741.71%1,0062.22%3560.79%45,302Sonoma44,82358.60%29,95339.16%8301.09%8811.15%14,87019.44%76,487Stanislaus29,15745.07%34,51053.34%6400.99%3910.60%-5,353-8.27%64,698Sutter9,08464.48%4,81134.15%760.54%1180.84%4,27330.33%14,089Tehama5,50052.46%4,81945.97%550.52%1101.05%6816.50%10,484Trinity1,64350.21%1,54947.34%150.46%651.99%942.87%3,272Tulare27,56457.69%19,32740.45%4320.90%4560.95%8,23717.24%47,779Tuolumne4,56753.74%3,77944.46%881.04%650.76%7889.27%8,499Ventura63,79058.64%42,35038.93%1,3431.23%1,3081.20%21,44019.71%108,791Yolo12,34441.01%17,13556.92%3381.12%2860.95%-4,791-15.92%30,103Yuba5,30554.74%4,25843.93%470.48%820.85%1,04710.80%9,692Total3,439,66452.84%2,938,60745.14%65,9541.01%65,8471.01%501,0577.70%6,510,072

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Fresno Kings Lassen Madera Sacramento Shasta Sierra Stanislaus Yolo

See also 1970 Folsom Prison strike

References

External links California Elections Page Reagan's Heritage