The 1986 California gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican George Deukmejian won easily in this rematch over the Democratic challenger, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. This was the largest gubernatorial victory since that of Earl Warren in 1946, who won 91.64% of the vote.

Primary election Both major party candidates from 1982 were renominated with only token opposition. Republican Party

Democratic Party

American Independent Party

Libertarian Party

Peace and Freedom Party

General election results

Results by county George Deukmejian carried all but two counties. As of 2024, this is most recent election in which a Republican gubernatorial candidate won Marin County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County. County George DeukmejianRepublican Tom BradleyDemocratic Joseph FuhrigLibertarian Maria Elizabeth MuñozPeace & Freedom Gary V. MillerAmerican Independent Margin Total votes cast # % # % # % # % # % # %Alameda174,55547.79%181,44549.68%3,1640.87%3,7831.04%2,2800.62%-6,890-1.89%365,227Alpine28064.22%12829.36%00.00%163.67%122.75%15234.86%436Amador7,35774.43%2,31923.46%600.61%560.57%930.94%5,03850.97%9,885Butte40,54670.81%15,51827.10%3980.70%3480.61%4480.78%25,02843.71%57,258Calaveras8,22174.77%2,53123.02%730.66%750.68%950.86%5,69051.75%10,995Colusa3,72979.49%88218.80%160.34%240.51%400.85%2,84760.69%4,691Contra Costa159,10563.31%87,11734.67%1,4910.59%1,6440.65%1,9510.78%71,99828.65%251,308Del Norte4,21365.80%2,02631.64%420.66%510.80%711.11%2,18734.16%6,403El Dorado26,06873.57%8,60524.29%2060.58%1930.54%3611.02%17,46349.28%35,433Fresno96,95966.28%47,07132.17%5460.37%9270.63%7950.54%49,88834.10%146,298Glenn5,72880.45%1,24617.50%380.53%260.37%821.15%4,48262.95%7,120Humboldt22,53454.58%17,60842.65%2930.71%4911.19%3630.88%4,92611.93%41,289Imperial11,47961.19%6,91536.86%380.20%2141.14%1130.60%4,56424.33%18.759Inyo4,86271.79%1,75325.88%630.93%450.66%500.74%3,10945.90%6,773Kern86,54768.23%37,97329.93%7160.56%6100.48%1,0070.79%48,57438.29%126,853Kings12,25669.07%5,20529.33%450.25%1250.70%1130.64%7,05139.74%17,744Lake10,99467.42%4,90430.07%990.61%1100.67%1991.22%6,09037.35%16,306Lassen5,15468.96%2,06727.66%450.60%610.82%1471.97%3,08741.30%7,474Los Angeles1,090,13852.96%930,57645.21%12,8620.62%13,1580.64%11,5140.56%159,5627.75%2,058,248Madera12,93970.55%4,95127.00%540.29%1650.90%2301.25%7,98843.56%18,339Marin51,69356.47%37,68641.17%1,0011.09%7810.85%3790.41%14,00715.30%91,450Mariposa3,84470.06%1,51327.57%260.47%450.82%591.08%2,33142.48%5,487Mendocino13,71055.96%10,05441.04%2090.85%3491.42%1770.72%3,65614.92%24,499Merced21,42668.86%9,10529.26%990.32%1990.64%2860.92%12,32139.60%31,115Modoc2,64174.69%81022.91%250.71%200.57%401.13%1,83151.78%3,536Mono1,84770.66%72227.62%150.57%150.57%150.57%1,12543.04%2,614Monterey46,19563.30%25,40834.81%4140.57%5440.75%4210.58%20,78728.48%72,982Napa26,44568.14%11,45629.52%2510.65%2820.73%3750.97%14,98938.62%38,809Nevada20,59973.12%6,92824.59%2280.81%1820.65%2340.83%13,67148.53%28,171Orange468,09271.89%172,78226.54%3,4450.53%2,8210.43%3,9560.61%295,31045.36%651,096Placer37,28873.31%12,54224.66%3720.73%2800.55%3820.75%24,74648.65%50,864Plumas4,82768.19%2,09629.61%360.51%781.10%420.59%2,73138.58%7,079Riverside155,31865.10%78,89133.06%9470.40%1,0920.46%2,3500.98%76,42732.03%238,598Sacramento207,08668.05%91,66030.12%1,5920.52%1,9740.65%2,0140.66%115,42637.93%304,326San Benito5,28466.42%2,52031.68%460.58%600.75%450.57%2,76434.75%7,955San Bernardino166,48363.76%89,58434.31%1,2060.46%1,3360.51%2,4900.95%76,89929.45%261,099San Diego381,09465.17%184,39531.53%8,7691.50%5,3900.92%5,1260.88%196,69933.64%584,774San Francisco83,74137.42%134,73860.20%1,6820.75%2,7431.23%9000.40%-50,997-22.79%223,804San Joaquin76,29771.32%28,81726.94%4520.42%6230.58%7930.74%47,48044.38%106,982San Luis Obispo41,89367.12%19,28130.89%3910.63%3820.61%4720.76%22,61236.23%62,419San Mateo121,91061.84%71,32936.18%1,4980.76%1,4210.72%9870.50%50,58125.66%197,145Santa Barbara67,85262.84%38,04635.23%6170.57%1,0150.94%4510.42%29,80627.60%107,981Santa Clara227,28559.87%142,90737.64%3,8941.03%2,9200.77%2,6500.70%84,37822.22%379,656Santa Cruz37,52550.54%34,83146.91%6150.83%8391.13%4340.58%2,6943.63%74,244Shasta29,44771.01%11,14926.89%2890.70%2060.50%3780.91%18,29844.12%41,469Sierra1,05366.98%47430.15%70.45%130.83%251.59%57936.83%1,572Siskiyou10,51567.95%4,58429.62%1030.67%960.62%1761.14%5,93138.33%15,474Solano47,39663.51%25,38234.01%7461.00%5130.69%5870.79%22,01429.50%74,624Sonoma75,00359.43%47,85937.92%1,0150.80%1,2420.98%1,0910.86%27,14421.51%126,210Stanislaus53,50571.05%20,48127.20%3420.45%4170.55%5560.74%33,02443.86%75,301Sutter12,61678.67%2,94618.37%1360.85%750.47%2631.64%9,67060.30%16,036Tehama10,46371.10%3,93226.72%830.56%750.51%1631.11%6,53144.38%14,716Trinity3,72066.48%1,66129.68%721.29%591.05%841.50%2,05936.79%5,596Tulare44,33571.72%16,28726.35%3440.56%3340.54%5190.84%28,04845.37%61,819Tuolumne11,12171.29%4,23727.16%670.43%820.53%920.59%6,88444.13%15,599Ventura118,64067.20%54,89331.09%9660.55%9600.54%1,0980.62%63,74736.11%176,557Yolo26,15460.79%15,90636.97%3080.72%3700.86%2850.66%10,24823.82%43,023Yuba8,59472.37%2,98225.11%710.60%400.34%1881.58%5,61247.26%11,875Total4,506,60160.54%2,781,71437.37%52,6280.71%51,9950.70%50,5470.68%1,724,88723.17%7,443,551

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican Humboldt Los Angeles Marin Mendocino Monterey San Benito San Mateo Santa Barbara Santa Clara Santa Cruz Sonoma Yolo

See also Bradley effect

Notes

References