The 1954 California gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican governor Goodwin Knight, who had ascended to the office after Earl Warren resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States the previous year, won a full term against Democrat Richard Graves.

Graves was the first Democratic nominee for governor to carry Yolo County since 1910; since 1954 it has been won by the Democratic nominee in all but three elections. Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to date to carry San Francisco.

Primary elections Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.

Democratic primary Candidates Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor (cross-filing) Roderick J. Wilson

Results

Republican primary Candidates Cornell L. Gabrish Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities (cross-filing) Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor

Results

Independent–Progressive primary Candidates Cornell L. Galbrish (cross-filing)

Results

Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.

General election results

Results by county County Goodwin J. KnightRepublican Richard P. GravesDemocratic ScatteringWrite-in Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # %Alameda143,00749.93%143,35050.05%520.02%-343-0.12%286,409Alpine11080.88%2619.12%00.00%8461.76%136Amador1,96445.86%2,31954.14%00.00%-355-8.29%4,283Butte14,39058.92%10,03541.08%00.00%4,35517.83%24,425Calaveras2,57453.64%2,22546.36%00.00%3497.27%4,799Colusa2,33757.76%1,70942.24%00.00%62815.52%4,046Contra Costa58,34051.61%54,68148.37%150.01%3,6593.24%113,036Del Norte2,58464.86%1,40035.14%00.00%1,18429.72%3,984El Dorado3,96854.87%3,26445.13%00.00%7049.73%7,232Fresno44,58149.12%46,16850.87%20.00%-1,587-1.75%90,751Glenn3,19757.45%2,36842.55%00.00%82914.90%5,565Humboldt16,32463.39%9,42636.61%00.00%6,89826.79%25,750Imperial7,66458.25%5,49441.75%00.00%2,17016.49%13,158Inyo2,66266.45%1,34433.55%00.00%1,31832.90%4,006Kern35,30151.69%32,99748.31%10.00%2,3043.37%68,299Kings5,07042.75%6,78957.25%00.00%-1,719-14.50%11,859Lake3,40964.98%1,83735.02%00.00%1,57229.97%5,246Lassen2,59745.30%3,13654.70%00.00%-539-9.40%5,733Los Angeles950,61157.31%707,73442.67%3030.02%242,87714.64%1,658,648Madera5,14746.94%5,81753.06%00.00%-670-6.11%10,964Marin23,83064.01%13,39235.97%40.01%10,43828.04%37,226Mariposa1,40560.80%90639.20%00.00%49921.59%2,311Mendocino9,14659.94%6,11140.05%10.01%3,03519.89%15,258Merced9,92448.46%10,55351.53%10.00%-629-3.07%20,478Modoc1,76354.70%1,46045.30%00.00%3039.40%3,223Mono60276.20%18823.80%00.00%41452.41%790Monterey22,59359.45%15,41140.55%20.01%7,18218.90%38,006Napa10,99260.59%7,14939.41%00.00%3,84321.18%18,141Nevada4,37657.13%3,28442.87%00.00%1,09214.26%7,660Orange63,14869.65%27,51130.34%70.01%35,63739.31%90,666Placer7,45946.97%8,42053.03%00.00%-961-6.05%15,879Plumas2,05343.50%2,66756.50%00.00%-614-13.01%4,720Riverside39,04763.22%22,70636.77%60.01%16,34126.46%61,759Sacramento55,27749.61%56,13750.38%120.01%-860-0.77%111,426San Benito2,91164.86%1,57735.14%00.00%1,33429.72%4,488San Bernardino60,41758.39%43,05841.61%50.00%17,35916.78%103,480San Diego139,76964.23%77,81735.76%60.00%61,95228.47%217,592San Francisco151,45855.97%119,13844.03%130.00%32,32011.94%270,609San Joaquin36,11155.99%28,38444.01%60.01%7,72711.98%64,501San Luis Obispo12,80858.34%9,14541.65%20.01%3,66316.68%21,955San Mateo71,44063.02%41,91036.97%130.01%29,53026.05%113,363Santa Barbara23,36862.63%13,94137.36%20.01%9,42725.27%37,311Santa Clara72,69558.25%52,08841.74%90.01%20,60716.51%124,792Santa Cruz19,00864.17%10,61335.83%10.00%8,39528.34%29,622Shasta6,58244.69%8,14455.30%10.01%-1,560-10.61%14,727Sierra57949.15%59950.85%00.00%-20-1.70%1,178Siskiyou6,01952.72%5,39747.28%00.00%6225.45%11,416Solano16,53748.87%17,30351.13%00.00%-766-2.26%33,840Sonoma26,76664.55%14,69935.45%30.01%12,06729.10%41,468Stanislaus21,48750.77%20,82849.22%40.01%6591.56%42,319Sutter4,70458.15%3,38641.85%00.00%1,31816.29%8,090Tehama4,56659.20%3,14740.80%00.00%1,41918.40%7,713Trinity1,13749.16%1,17650.84%00.00%-39-1.69%2,313Tulare21,49154.64%17,84245.36%10.00%3,6499.28%39,334Tuolumne2,77347.60%3,05352.40%00.00%-280-4.81%5,826Ventura19,92653.33%17,43446.66%40.01%2,4926.67%37,364Yolo7,05349.77%7,11450.20%50.04%-61-0.43%14,172Yuba3,46249.30%3,56150.70%00.00%-99-1.41%7,023Total2,290,51956.83%1,739,36843.16%4810.01%551,15113.67%4,030,368

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Alameda Amador Fresno Kings Lassen Madera Merced Placer Plumas Sacramento Shasta Sierra Solano Trinity Tuolumne Yolo Yuba

Notes

References

Bibliography