2006 California gubernatorial election
The 2006 California gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 2006. The primary elections took place on June 6, 2006. The incumbent Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, won re-election for his first and only full term. His main opponent was California State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the California Democratic Party nominee. Peter Camejo was the California Green Party nominee, Janice Jordan was the Peace and Freedom Party nominee, Art Olivier was the California Libertarian Party nominee, and Edward C. Noonan was the California American Independent Party nominee.
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| Turnout | 32.77% 28.43pp | ||||||||||||||||
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County results Schwarzenegger: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Angelides: 40–50% 50–60% 60–70% | |||||||||||||||||
Under the state constitution, the Governor serves a four-year term, with a maximum or minimum term limit of two four-year terms for life, regardless of whether or not they are consecutive or nonconsecutive. Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected in a 2003 recall election and served out the remainder of predecessor Gray Davis's term ending in 2006; Schwarzenegger was therefore eligible to serve until 2011.[1] As of 2022[update], this, along with the concurrent Insurance Commissioner election, was the last time a Republican won a gubernatorial or any other statewide election in California as well as the most recent election in which a California governor and lieutenant governor of opposite parties were elected.
Exit polls showed Schwarzenegger won White people (63%–32%) and Asian-Americans (62%–37%), while Angelides won African-Americans (70%–27%) and Latinos (56%–39%).
Primary elections (June 6, 2006)
Bar graph of statewide results[2]
Results by county[3]
The period for candidate nominations closed on March 24, 2006.
Democratic
Candidates
- Phil Angelides – California State Treasurer; former State Democratic Chair and developer
- Barbara Becnel – Executive Director of Neighborhood House of North Richmond; founder of Save Stanley Tookie Williams campaign
- Joe Brouilette – high school teacher
- Edie Bukewihge – writer and publisher
- Jerald Gerst – physician
- Vibert Greene – engineer
- Frank Macaluso – medical doctor
- Michael Strimling – attorney
- Steve Westly – California State Controller; former Internet executive
The two front-runners for the Democratic nomination were Angelides and California State Controller Steve Westly. A pre-election poll had Westly leading Angelides by six percentage points.[4] The Field Poll conducted on April 17, 2006, showed that both Democratic candidates had low recognition factors amongst the state's electorate, with only 45% having any opinion on Angelides and 40% for Westly. Of registered Democrats surveyed, 59% said they didn't know enough about Angelides to have any opinion about him, with 58% saying the same for Westly.[5] The Los Angeles Times reported that the race for the Democratic nomination was a virtual tie, with Angelides leading Westly by three percentage points (37%–34%), within the 3% margin of error. Unusually, 28% of Democratic voters were undecided, and both candidates tried to earn the undecided vote.
Angelides reported a recent increase in support for his campaign and gained union support as well as support from the "core" liberal constituency. The California Democratic Party endorsed him prior to the primary, despite most polls showing that Westly would fare much better against Schwarzenegger in the general election.[6] However, many registered Democrats believed that Westly had a greater chance of winning against incumbent governor Schwarzenegger and felt that he had a slightly "more positive" image.[7] In the end, Angelides won 47.9% of the vote to Westly's 43.4%. The turnout for the primary, was a record low 33.6%,[8] far below the 38% predicted by the Secretary of State,[9] with the turnout of valid ballots cast on election day at 28%.[10]
Polling
| Source | Date | Westly | Angelides |
|---|---|---|---|
| Survey USA | June 5, 2006 | 36% | 44% |
| Survey USA | June 2, 2006 | 37% | 41% |
| June 2, 2006 | 35% | 34% | |
| LA Times Poll | May 27, 2006 | 34% | 37% |
| Survey USA | May 25, 2006 | 32% | 44% |
| Public Policy Institute of California | May 25, 2006 | 32% | 35% |
| Survey USA | May 8, 2006 | 31% | 41% |
| LA Times Poll | April 29, 2006 | 33% | 20% |
| Public Policy Institute of California | April 27, 2006 | 26% | 20% |
| April 17, 2006 | 37% | 26% | |
| Public Policy Institute of California | March 30, 2006 | 23% | 22% |
| November 3, 2005 | 26% | 37% | |
| September 7, 2005 | 22% | 32% | |
| June 29, 2005 | 28% | 37% | |
| February 25, 2005 | 11% | 15% |
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Phil Angelides | 1,202,851 | 48.00 | |
| Steve Westly | 1,081,940 | 43.18 | |
| Barbara Becnel | 66,550 | 2.66 | |
| Joe Brouillette | 42,075 | 1.68 | |
| Michael Strimling | 35,121 | 1.40 | |
| Frank A. Macaluso, Jr. | 30,867 | 1.23 | |
| Vibert Greene | 25,475 | 1.02 | |
| Jerald Robert Gerst | 21,039 | 0.84 | |
| Total votes | 2,505,918 | 100.00 | |
Republican
Candidates
- Jeffrey Burns – general contractor
- Bill Chambers – railroad switchman
- Robert C. Newman II – psychologist and farmer
- Arnold Schwarzenegger – incumbent Governor of California
Republican Schwarzenegger faced token opposition and won overwhelmingly in the primary held on June 6, 2006.
Results
| Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arnold Schwarzenegger | 1,724,281 | 89.99 | |
| Robert C. Newman II | 68,660 | 3.58 | |
| Bill Chambers | 65,487 | 3.42 | |
| Jeffrey R. Burns | 57,652 | 3.01 | |
| Total votes | 1,916,080 | 100.00 | |
Third parties
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Green | Peter Camejo | 33,545 | 100.00 | |
| American Independent | Edward C. Noonan | 29,094 | 100.00 | |
| Libertarian | Art Olivier | 16,445 | 100.00 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Janice Jordan | 3,849 | 100.00 | |
General election
Candidates
- Phil Angelides (Democratic) – California State Treasurer, Ex-State Democratic Chair & Developer
- Peter Camejo (Green) – 2002/2003 Green Party gubernatorial candidate, 2004 independent vice presidential candidate (Ralph Nader's running mate)
- Janice Jordan (Peace and Freedom) – 2004 Peace and Freedom Party vice presidential candidate (Leonard Peltier's running mate)
- Edward C. Noonan (American Independent) – computer shop owner
- Art Olivier (Libertarian) – former mayor of Bellflower, 2000 Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate (Harry Browne's running mate)
- Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) – incumbent Governor of California, actor, businessman
Campaign
Schwarzenegger's decision to call the 2005 special election, as well as his propositions dealing with teachers' and nurses' unions and other political missteps, brought his approval rating down to 39% by April 2006,[11] though he ended up solidly defeating his opponents. During his first two years, he came under fire from some conservatives for supporting several taxes on Californians,[12] and from some liberals for refusing to sign a bill allowing gay marriage, and his support for several controversial propositions in 2005. Later, Schwarzenegger's popularity with voters rebounded and he won reelection by a wide margin.
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[13] | Lean R | November 6, 2006 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[14] | Likely R | November 6, 2006 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[15] | Safe R | November 2, 2006 |
| Real Clear Politics[16] | Likely R | November 6, 2006 |
Polling
| Source | Date | Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) | Phil Angelides (D) | Peter Camejo (G) | Art Olivier (L) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| November 1, 2006 | 49% | 33% | |||
| Zogby/WSJ | October 17, 2006 | 47% | 40% | ||
| Zogby/WSJ | September 28, 2006 | 43% | 34% | 8% | 4% |
| September 27, 2006 | 44% | 34% | |||
| September 12, 2006 | 47% | 39% | |||
| Zogby/WSJ | September 11, 2006 | 40% | 35% | 6% | 4% |
| August 31, 2006 | 48% | 42% | |||
| Public Policy Institute of California | August 30, 2006 | 45% | 32% | ||
| Survey USA | August 28, 2006 | 52% | 38% | ||
| Zogby/WSJ | August 28, 2006 | 45% | 40% | ||
| Rasmussen 2006-08-03 at the Wayback Machine | August 1, 2006 | 47% | 41% | ||
| Public Policy Institute of California | July 26, 2006 | 43% | 30% | ||
| July 25, 2006 | 45% | 37% | |||
| Zogby/WSJ | July 24, 2006 | 42% | 44% | ||
| July 13, 2006 | 44% | 46% | |||
| July 6, 2006 | 44% | 37% | |||
| Zogby/WSJ | June 21, 2006 | 45% | 45% | ||
| June 2, 2006 | 46% | 39% | |||
| LA Times Poll | May 28, 2006 | 45% | 46% | ||
| Public Policy Institute of California | May 25, 2006 | 38% | 38% | ||
| May 23, 2006 | 45% | 45% | |||
| LA Times Poll | April 29, 2006 | 43% | 43% | ||
| April 17, 2006 | 49% | 36% | |||
| April 14, 2006 | 44% | 40% | |||
| Public Policy Institute of California | March 30, 2006 | 41% | 29% | ||
| Rasmussen 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine | March 23, 2006 | 44% | 45% | ||
| March 2, 2006 | 39% | 39% | |||
| February 13, 2006 | 40% | 41% | |||
| January 25, 2006 | 39% | 41% | |||
| Rasmussen 2005-12-19 at the Wayback Machine | December 16, 2005 | 40% | 44% | ||
| November 3, 2005 | 41% | 47% | |||
| August 29, 2005 | 40% | 43% | |||
| June 13, 2005 | 42% | 46% | |||
| February 25, 2005 | 52% | 35% |
- Schwarzenegger v Westly
| Source | Date | Schwarzenegger (R) | Westly (D) |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 2, 2006 | 44% | 42% | |
| LA Times Poll | May 28, 2006 | 40% | 50% |
| Public Policy Institute of California | May 25, 2006 | 36% | 36% |
| Rasmussen 2006-05-24 at the Wayback Machine | May 23, 2006 | 44% | 46% |
| LA Times Poll | April 29, 2006 | 39% | 48% |
| Rasmussen 2006-04-21 at the Wayback Machine | April 17, 2006 | 48% | 40% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | April 14, 2006 | 43% | 43% |
| Public Policy Institute of California | March 30, 2006 | 39% | 31% |
| Rasmussen 2006-04-27 at the Wayback Machine | March 23, 2006 | 44% | 45% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | March 2, 2006 | 37% | 41% |
| Rasmussen 2006-02-23 at the Wayback Machine | February 13, 2006 | 39% | 34% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | February 2, 2006 | 52% | 33% |
| January 25, 2006 | 39% | 40% | |
| Rasmussen 2005-12-19 at the Wayback Machine | December 16, 2005 | 39% | 46% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | November 3, 2005 | 40% | 46% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | August 29, 2005 | 39% | 42% |
| Field Poll 2005-08-30 at the Wayback Machine | June 13, 2005 | 40% | 44% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Arnold Schwarzenegger (incumbent) | 4,850,157 | 55.88 | |
| Democratic | Phil Angelides | 3,376,732 | 38.91 | |
| Green | Peter Camejo | 205,995 | 2.37 | |
| Libertarian | Art Olivier | 114,329 | 1.32 | |
| Peace and Freedom | Janice Jordan | 69,934 | 0.81 | |
| American Independent | Edward Noonan | 61,901 | 0.71 | |
| Republican | Robert Newman (write-in) | 219 | 0.00 | |
| Independent | James Harris (write-in) | 46 | 0.00 | |
| Independent | Donald Etkes (write-in) | 43 | 0.00 | |
| Independent | Elisha Shapiro (write-in) | 43 | 0.00 | |
| Independent | Vibert Greene (write-in) | 18 | 0.00 | |
| Independent | Dealphria Tarver (write-in) | 6 | 0.00 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | 219,643 | 2.47 | ||
| Total votes | 8,679,423 | 100.00 | ||
| Turnout | 32.77 | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
Results by county
Results showed Schwarzenegger won 52 counties while Angelides won 6 (Schwarzenegger won an absolute majority in 48 counties and a plurality in 4 counties while Angelides won an absolute majority in 2 counties and a plurality in 4 counties). Schwarzenegger won large majorities in California's rural counties, the populous Southern California counties of San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, as well as populous Sacramento, Fresno, and Kern counties in the Central Valley. The results were closely contested in Los Angeles County and in Bay Area suburban counties. Angelides won substantially only in Alameda and San Francisco counties.[17]
| County | Schwarzenegger | Votes | Angelides | Votes | Camejo | Votes | Others | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Glenn | 76.50% | 5,775 | 18.82% | 1,421 | 1.46% | 110 | 3.22% | 243 |
| Modoc | 75.20% | 2,829 | 19.22% | 723 | 1.25% | 47 | 4.33% | 163 |
| Tehama | 74.66% | 13,442 | 20.36% | 3,666 | 1.21% | 217 | 3.78% | 680 |
| Placer | 74.38% | 91,972 | 21.61% | 26,723 | 2.02% | 2,501 | 1.99% | 2,456 |
| Shasta | 73.92% | 43,436 | 21.16% | 12,434 | 1.38% | 808 | 3.55% | 2,085 |
| Colusa | 73.76% | 3,665 | 22.22% | 1,104 | 1.89% | 94 | 2.13% | 106 |
| El Dorado | 73.37% | 49,771 | 21.43% | 14,535 | 2.82% | 1,911 | 2.39% | 1,620 |
| Sutter | 72.73% | 17,393 | 22.95% | 5,487 | 1.49% | 357 | 2.83% | 676 |
| Yuba | 72.62% | 10,122 | 21.33% | 2,973 | 2.47% | 344 | 3.58% | 499 |
| Amador | 72.09% | 10,755 | 22.48% | 3,354 | 2.61% | 390 | 2.82% | 420 |
| Kern | 72.06% | 108,253 | 23.64% | 35,512 | 1.17% | 1,752 | 3.13% | 4,705 |
| Madera | 71.12% | 21,416 | 24.82% | 7,473 | 1.17% | 353 | 2.89% | 871 |
| Tulare | 70.72% | 48,607 | 25.57% | 17,571 | 1.17% | 801 | 2.55% | 1,751 |
| Sierra | 70.60% | 1,131 | 22.03% | 353 | 3.87% | 62 | 3.50% | 56 |
| Calaveras | 70.44% | 12,691 | 23.69% | 4,268 | 2.72% | 490 | 3.15% | 567 |
| Tuolumne | 70.18% | 14,836 | 24.15% | 5,105 | 2.69% | 569 | 2.98% | 631 |
| Orange | 69.70% | 507,413 | 25.46% | 185,388 | 1.32% | 9,646 | 3.51% | 25,584 |
| Plumas | 69.53% | 6,160 | 24.76% | 2,194 | 2.62% | 232 | 3.09% | 274 |
| Kings | 68.47% | 15,683 | 27.70% | 6,344 | 0.96% | 219 | 2.87% | 658 |
| Mariposa | 66.82% | 5,074 | 26.14% | 1,985 | 2.69% | 204 | 4.35% | 330 |
| Lassen | 66.03% | 5,665 | 27.42% | 2,353 | 1.84% | 158 | 4.71% | 404 |
| Fresno | 66.08% | 116,534 | 30.39% | 53,605 | 1.32% | 2,324 | 2.21% | 3,900 |
| Nevada | 66.03% | 28,570 | 27.35% | 11,833 | 4.58% | 1,982 | 2.04% | 883 |
| Butte | 65.82% | 45,591 | 26.96% | 18,672 | 4.20% | 2,912 | 3.02% | 2,093 |
| Siskiyou | 65.64% | 10,916 | 27.75% | 4,615 | 2.30% | 383 | 4.31% | 717 |
| Riverside | 65.49% | 251,962 | 30.10% | 115,803 | 1.12% | 4,314 | 3.29% | 12,665 |
| San Diego | 65.49% | 509,059 | 30.22% | 234,938 | 1.76% | 13,653 | 2.53% | 19,655 |
| Stanislaus | 64.91% | 67,427 | 30.79% | 31,981 | 1.53% | 1,589 | 2.77% | 2,875 |
| Trinity | 64.61% | 3,819 | 27.31% | 1,614 | 4.11% | 243 | 3.98% | 235 |
| Inyo | 64.39% | 4,180 | 29.14% | 1,892 | 2.03% | 132 | 4.44% | 288 |
| San Luis Obispo | 63.56% | 61,842 | 31.42% | 30,568 | 2.38% | 2,319 | 2.63% | 2,563 |
| Merced | 62.52% | 26,231 | 33.43% | 14,027 | 1.29% | 543 | 2.76% | 1,158 |
| Mono | 61.83% | 2,315 | 31.41% | 1,176 | 2.67% | 100 | 4.09% | 153 |
| San Bernardino | 61.63% | 212,200 | 33.22% | 114,388 | 1.27% | 4,387 | 3.87% | 13,326 |
| Ventura | 61.03% | 134,862 | 34.30% | 75,790 | 1.51% | 3,329 | 3.16% | 6,984 |
| Sacramento | 60.45% | 218,889 | 34.16% | 123,685 | 3.08% | 11,170 | 2.31% | 8,351 |
| San Joaquin | 60.32% | 83,952 | 35.83% | 49,868 | 1.46% | 2,026 | 2.39% | 3,322 |
| Santa Barbara | 60.01% | 73,677 | 34.92% | 42,880 | 2.56% | 3,149 | 2.50% | 3,075 |
| San Benito | 57.08% | 8,208 | 37.55% | 5,400 | 2.33% | 335 | 3.03% | 436 |
| Lake | 56.26% | 10,930 | 36.19% | 7,031 | 3.17% | 615 | 4.39% | 853 |
| Del Norte | 54.85% | 3,639 | 38.15% | 2,531 | 2.00% | 133 | 4.99% | 331 |
| Napa | 54.57% | 23,187 | 38.84% | 16,504 | 3.67% | 1,559 | 2.91% | 1,238 |
| Alpine | 54.23% | 295 | 40.07% | 218 | 2.57% | 14 | 3.13% | 17 |
| Yolo | 53.39% | 29,073 | 39.91% | 21,733 | 4.78% | 2,602 | 1.93% | 1,050 |
| Monterey | 53.33% | 46,882 | 40.69% | 35,769 | 3.01% | 2,646 | 2.97% | 2,609 |
| Solano | 53.15% | 55,130 | 41.94% | 43,501 | 2.12% | 2,194 | 2.80% | 2,901 |
| Contra Costa | 52.42% | 158,565 | 42.50% | 128,578 | 2.82% | 8,529 | 2.26% | 6,841 |
| Santa Clara | 52.16% | 225,132 | 42.87% | 185,037 | 2.53% | 10,932 | 2.45% | 10,554 |
| Humboldt | 48.22% | 23,282 | 41.56% | 20,070 | 6.71% | 3,241 | 3.51% | 1,693 |
| San Mateo | 47.12% | 96,478 | 47.42% | 97,092 | 3.33% | 6,822 | 2.14% | 4,372 |
| Sonoma | 47.03% | 81,608 | 44.60% | 77,392 | 4.98% | 8,647 | 3.38% | 5,867 |
| Imperial | 46.73% | 10,363 | 45.21% | 10,024 | 3.18% | 706 | 4.88% | 1,081 |
| Los Angeles | 46.06% | 907,919 | 49.07% | 967,149 | 1.88% | 37,029 | 2.99% | 58,979 |
| Marin | 45.81% | 48,439 | 47.70% | 50,441 | 4.47% | 4,724 | 2.02% | 2,139 |
| Mendocino | 45.41% | 14,002 | 44.72% | 13,790 | 6.06% | 1,869 | 3.80% | 1,173 |
| Santa Cruz | 41.99% | 37,866 | 48.36% | 43,619 | 6.83% | 6,156 | 2.83% | 2,548 |
| Alameda | 36.59% | 148,322 | 56.54% | 229,217 | 4.50% | 18,236 | 2.37% | 9,603 |
| San Francisco | 29.75% | 72,722 | 62.72% | 153,335 | 5.39% | 13,186 | 2.14% | 5,225 |
See also
- United States gubernatorial elections, 2006
- State of California
- Governors of California
- California Victory 2006, Republican field campaign
References
- ^ . Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2006.
- ^ . Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ . Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ "Special Survey on Education" (PDF). ppic.org. Public Policy Institute of California. April 2006. (PDF) from the original on 2006-05-07.
- ^ (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2010-10-20. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ Report, Progress (August 17, 2011). . Archived from the original on May 9, 2007.
- ^ "Angelides Pulls Even With Westly – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. 2006-05-28. Archived from the original on 2017-05-25. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ . Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2008-08-28. Retrieved 2010-08-14.
- ^ Demovic, Nghia Nguyen (2 June 2006). (PDF). ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2006-06-28.
- ^ . vote.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2006-06-23.
- ^ . ocregister.com. 13 April 2006. Archived from the original on 2007-09-30. Retrieved 2006-04-25.
- ^ Halper, Evan; Rau, Jordan (7 November 2008). "Gov. pushes hike in sales tax, big cuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 18 September 2020.
- ^ (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
- ^ "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "2006 Gubernatorial Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ "Election 2006". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
- ^ a b (PDF). Secretary of State of California. 2006-12-16. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-17. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
- ^ (PDF). Secretary of State of California. 2006-12-18. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-17. Retrieved 2008-07-16.
External links
Democratic candidates
Republican candidates
Third-party and Independent candidates
Other sites with relevant information
- VoteCircle.com Non-partisan resources & vote sharing network for Californians