California was a former Republican leaning state until the 1990s, but since then has become a stronghold of the Democratic and considered to be one of the "Big Three" Democratic strongholds alongside New York and Illinois. Originally a swing state following statehood, California began regularly supporting Republicans for the first half of the 20th century. Republican dominance waned with demographic change, accelerating with increased immigration beginning in the 1980s. The party remained competitive with Democratic candidates until 1992. This changed amidst a struggling economy, when California flipped from Republican to elect Democrat Bill Clinton as President. Republicans still won statewide contests in the state until the late 2000s, with Arnold Schwarzenegger elected governor.

Party affiliation Current + Party registration as of May 18, 2026PartyNumberof votersFractionDemocratic10,397,69244.90%Republican5,779,78624.96%No Party Affiliation5,284,96822.82%American Independent965,0684.17%Libertarian231,1071.00%Peace and Freedom154,3050.67%Green113,7900.49%Others228,7311.00%Total23,155,447100.0%

Historically +Political party registration by yearYearDEMREPAIPGRELPNLPPFPRPOthersIndependentTotal202610,382,2695,784,486959,354113,205231,356–152,497–229,879 5,259,80823,112,854202510,367,3215,776,356896,260110,649233,052–141,785–258,4905,116,98322,900,896202410,285,1085,388,479834,730102,659240,618–138,238–264,9544,822,54722,077,333202310,305,9015,236,952793,27297,253234,743–125,196–246,1374,941,31421,980,768202210,275,3715,271,141731,42689,997219,512–113,278–264,8905,039,62822,005,243202110,228,1445,347,377680,57385,828204,345–105,535–244,2795,258,22322,154,30420209,361,5824,937,986600,05783,281175,352–95,242–225,1745,181,79120,660,46520198,612,3684,709,851517,87288,771153,348–76,784–173,7905,645,66519,978,44920188,405,4644,763,967502,30490,459139,620–73,962–143,7354,735,31818,854,82920178,700,4405,027,714510,48694,720141,461–76,021–119,5554,762,21219,432,60920167,438,6554,767,259472,019102,688120,578–75,579–140,7754,141,86017,259,41320157,645,1734,958,225480,124109,836121,876–78,295–148,7644,175,64317,717,93620147,678,4245,041,564472,536109,157114,656–77,594–444,0203,718,93117,660,48620137,932,3735,225,675476,157112,973109,636–61,612–367,4833,766,45718,055,78320127,429,6845,170,592428,560111,31993,300–59,012–115,1923,617,46617,028,29020117,569,5815,307,411417,567113,11892,246–58,470–121,0193,507,11917,186,53120107,545,6175,199,961382,380111,39584,462–55,036–118,1943,412,52916,909,57420097,716,7905,397,434376,849116,04883,786–56,116–121,9073,465,34517,334,27520086,749,4065,229,425328,261127,04280,435–57,182–97,8383,043,16415,712,75320076,667,4375,362,473313,461138,86183,420–58,264–105,0282,953,41415,682,35820066,747,6025,483,104310,987145,78683,46523,64559,193–82,3942,874,23615,810,41220057,156,4495,734,536330,082157,56589,32828,57167,238–91,5872,973,31716,628,67320046,518,6315,364,832291,055157,74986,05330,59770,475–91,7292,480,03915,091,16020036,733,8585,341,974295,060156,80389,35642,656––184,1172,324,43915,168,26320026,867,5295,332,482308,009 144,39691,98650,059–74,050132,5042,237,53215,232,15420017,099,2435,414,933 317,382141,63793,36054,013–74,050134,5272,248,54115,577,68620006,684,6685,140,951295,387108,90487,18362,183–85,869133,9972,032,66314,631,80519996,939,9175,238,394291,92298,35082,33964,068––223,6911,914,44014,853,121

Electoral history The following table indicates the party of elected officials in California: Governor Lieutenant Governor Attorney General Secretary of State Treasurer Controller Insurance Commissioner California Superintendent of Public Instruction

The table also indicates the historical party composition in the: Board of Equalization State Senate State Assembly State delegation to the U.S. Senate State delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives

For years in which a presidential election was held, the table indicates which party's nominees received the state's electoral votes.

Note that ties on the Board of Equalization are broken by the vote of the State Controller.

1849–1990

YearExecutive officesBOEState LegislatureUnited States CongressElectoralvotesGovernorLieutenantGovernorAttorneyGeneralSecretaryof StateTreasurerControllerSupt. ofPub. Inst.StateSenateStateAssem.U.S. Senator(Class I)U.S. Senator(Class III)U.S.House1849Peter HardemanBurnett John McDougal Edward J. C. Kewen William Van Voohies Richard Roman John S. Houston no suchoffice16NP36NP1850John C. Frémont William M. Gwin 1D, 1I1851John McDougal David C. Broderick James A. McDougall John Gage Marvin 10D, 4W, 2I18W, 17D, 1I vacant1852John Bigler Samuel Purdy Serranus Clinton Hastings Winslow S. Pierce 26D, 2W41D, 21W, 1IJohn B. Weller 2DPierce/King 1853James W. Denver 20D, 7W41D, 22W1854John R. McConnell Selden A. McMeans Samuel Bell Paul K. Hubbs 26D, 8W68D, 12W1855Charles R. Hempstead 26D, 7W42D, 36W, 2Ivacant1856J. Neely Johnson Robert M. Anderson William T. Wallace David F. Douglass Henry Bates George W. Whitman 16KN, 16D, 1W56KN, 23D, 1IBuchanan/Breckinridge 1857James L. English Edward F. Burton Andrew J. Moulder 19D, 11KN, 3R61D, 11R, 8KNDavid C. Broderick William M. Gwin 1858John B. Weller Joseph Walkup Thomas H. Williams Ferris Foreman Thomas Findley Aaron R. Melony 27D, 5R, 3KN66D, 9R, 4KN, 1I185930D, 4R, 1I72D, 8R1860Milton Latham John G. Downey Johnson Price Samuel H. Brooks 33D, 2R78D, 2RHenry P. Haun Lincoln/Hamlin John G. Downey Isaac N. Quinn Milton Latham 1861Pablo de la Guerra James S. Gillan 30D, 6R60D, 19R, 1CUJames A. McDougall 3R1862Leland Stanford John F. Chellis Frank M. Pixley William H. Weeks Delos R. Ashley Gilbert R. Warren 23D, 17R41D, 39R1863John L. McCullogh Benjamin B. Redding Romualdo Pacheco George R. Oultan John Swett 31R, 9D63R, 17DJohn Conness 1864Frederick Low Tim N. Machin 35R, 5D70R, 10DLincoln/Johnson 1865186631R, 9D61R, 19D1867Jo Hamilton Henry L. Nichols Antonio F. Coronel Robert Watt Oscar Penn Fitzgerald Cornelius Cole 2D, 1R1868Henry Huntly Haight William Holden 21R, 19D52D, 28RGrant/Colfax 1869Eugene Casserly 187026D, 12R, 2I67D, 10R, 3I1871John Lord Love Drury Melone Ferdinand Baehr James J. Green Henry Nicholas Bolander 3R1872Newton Booth Romualdo Pacheco 22D, 17R, 1I54R, 25D, 1IGrant/Wilson 1873Aaron A. Sargent 3R, 1D187418R, 14D, 834, 27R, 19DJohn S. Hager 1875Romualdo Pacheco William Irwin Jo Hamilton Thomas Bock José Guadalupe Estudillo James W. Mandeville Ezra S. Carr Newton Booth 3D, 1R1876William Irwin James A. Johnson William B. C. Brown 20D, 11I, 6R, 3ID64D, 12R, 4IHayes/Wheeler 1877Daniel M. Kenfield 3R, 1D187827D, 10R, 2I, 1WPC55D, 24R, 1WPC2D, 2R18793R, 1DJames T. Farley 3R, 1D1880George C. Perkins John Mansfield Augustus L. Hart Daniel M. Burns John Weil Frederick M. Campbell 23R, 10WPC, 7D46R, 18D, 16WPCHancock/English 188142R, 33D, 4WPC, 1GBJohn Franklin Miller 2D, 2R18821883George Stoneman John Daggett Edward C. Marshall Thomas Larkin Thompson William A. January John P. Dunn William T. Weckler 3D, 1R32D, 8R61D, 19R6D1884Denis J. Oullahan Blaine/Logan 188520D, 20R60R, 20DLeland Stanford 5R, 1D1886George Hearst Abram Williams 1887Washington Bartlett Robert Waterman George A. Johnson William C. Hendricks Adam Herald Ira G. Haitt 22D, 18R41R, 39DGeorge Hearst 4R, 2D1888Robert Waterman Stephen M. White Harrison/Morton 188922D, 18R42D, 38R18901891Henry Markham John B. Reddick William H. Hart Edwin G. Waite J.R. McDonald Edward P. Colgan J. W. Anderson 3R, 1D28R, 12D60R 19D, 1KNCharles N. Felton 18928 - Cleveland/Stevenson 1 - Harrison/Reid 189322R, 18D45D, 31R, 2I, 2PopStephen M. White 1894Albert Hart George C. Perkins 1895James Budd Spencer G. Millard William F. Fitzgerald Lewis H. Brown Levi Ratcliffe Samuel T. Black 25R, 15D64R, 14D, 2Pop1896William T. Jeter McKinley/Roosevelt 189728R, 12D47R, 16Fus, 9Pop, 8D3R, 2D, 2Pop1898Will S. Green Charles T. Meredith 1899Henry T. Gage Jacob H. Neff Tirey L. Ford Charles F. Curry Truman Reeves Thomas J. Kirk 2R, 2D26R, 14D59R, 20D, 2I vacant6R, 1D1900Thomas R. Bard 7RMcKinley/Roosevelt 190134R, 6D60R, 20D19021903George Pardee Alden Anderson Ulysses S. Webb 33R, 7D60R, 19D, 15R, 3D1904Roosevelt/Fairbanks 190533R, 4, 3D72R, 4D, 4Frank Flint 8R1906A. B. Nye 1907James Gillett Warren R. Porter William R. Williams Edward Hyatt 4R33R, 6D, 1I73R, 6D, 1I1908Taft/Sherman 190930R, 9D, 1I60R, 20D19101911Hiram Johnson Albert Joseph Wallace Frank C. Jordan Edward D. Roberts 32R, 18D69R, 11DJohn D. Works 7R, 1D1912Hiram Johnson Roosevelt/Johnson 1913John S. Chambers 30R, 10D54R, 25D, 1Soc7R, 3D, 1I19141915John Morton Eshleman Friend Richardson 3R, 1D21R, 10D, 9Prog33R, 28Prog, 15D, 3Soc, 1ProhJames D. Phelan 4R, 3D, 2Prog, 1I, 1Proh1916William Stephens 5R, 3D, 1Prog, 1I, 1ProhWilson/Marshall 1917William Stephens C. C. Young 20R, 11D, 8P, 1I69R, 9D, 1Prog, 1ProhHiram Johnson 5R, 4D, 1Prog, 1Proh19181919Will C. Wood 32R, 7D, 1I70R, 10D9R, 2D1920Harding/Coolidge 1921Roy C. Riley 33R, 7D73R, 7DSamuel M. Shortridge 19221923Friend Richardson Charles G. Johnson 36R, 3D, 1I76R, 4D1924Coolidge/Dawes 192537R, 3D75R, 5D19261927C. C. Young Buron Fitts William John Cooper 4R35R, 5D74R, 6D10R, 1D1928Hoover/Curtis 1929Herschel L. Carnahan Vierling C. Kersey 71R, 7D, 2I19301931James Rolph Frank Merriam 36R, 4D73R, 7D1932Roosevelt/Garner 193335R, 5D55R, 25DWilliam Gibbs McAdoo 11D, 9R1934Frank Merriam vacant1935George J. Hatfield 31R, 8D, 1I42R, 37D, 1I13D, 7R19361937Harry B. Riley Walter F. Dexter 25R, 15D47D, 33R15D, 4R, 1Prog19381939Culbert Olson Ellis E. Patterson Earl Warren 3R, 1D21R, 19D44D, 36RSheridan Downey 11D, 8R, 1Prog1940Paul Peek Roosevelt/Wallace 194124R, 16D42D, 38R10D, 10R19421943Earl Warren Frederick F. Houser Robert W. Kenny Frank M. Jordan 44R, 36D13D, 10R1944Roosevelt/Truman 1945Roy E. Simpson 24R, 20D42R, 37D, 1I16D, 7R1946William Knowland 1947Goodwin Knight Frederick N. Howser Thomas Kuchel 48R, 32D14R, 9D1948Truman/Barkley 194926R, 14D45R, 35D12R, 11D19501951Pat Brown 28R, 12D47R, 33DRichard Nixon 1952Eisenhower/Nixon 1953Robert C. Kirkwood 29R, 11D53R, 27DThomas Kuchel 19R, 11D1954Goodwin Knight Harold J. Powers 2R, 2D195522R, 18D47R, 23D19561957A. Ronald Burton 20D, 20R42R, 38D17R, 13D19581959Pat Brown Glenn M. Anderson Stanley Mosk Bert A. Betts Alan Cranston 4D26D, 14R47D, 33RClair Engle 16D, 14R1960Nixon/Lodge 196130D, 10R24D, 14R19621963Max Rafferty 27D, 13R52D, 28R23D, 15R1964Johnson/Humphrey Thomas C. Lynch Pierre Salinger 196549D, 31RGeorge Murphy 19661967Ronald Reagan Robert Finch Ivy Baker Priest Houston Flournoy 21D, 19R42D, 38R21D, 17R196820D, 20RNixon/Agnew 1969Edwin Reinecke 21R, 19D41R, 39DAlan Cranston 1970H. P. Sullivan 1971Evelle J. Younger Jerry Brown Wilson Riles 21D, 19R43D, 37RJohn V. Tunney 20D, 18R1972197320D, 20R51D, 29R23D, 20R1974John L. Harmer 1975Jerry Brown Mervyn Dymally March Fong Eu Jesse M. Unruh Kenneth Cory 25D, 15R55D, 25R28D, 15R1976Ford/Dole 197728D, 12R57D, 23RS. I. Hayakawa 29D, 14R19781979Mike Curb George Deukmejian 3D, 1R26D, 14R50D, 30R28D, 15R1980Reagan/Bush 198147D, 33R22D, 21R19821983George Deukmejian Leo T. McCarthy John Van de Kamp Bill Honig 25D, 15R48D, 32RPete Wilson 28D, 17R1984198547D, 33R19861987Gray Davis 2D, 2R24D, 14R, 1I44D, 36R1988Elizabeth Whitney Bill Honig Bush/Quayle 1989Thomas W. Hayes 47D, 33R1990

1991–present