California gubernatorial election, 1974

Infobox Election
election_name = California gubernatorial election, 1974
country = California
type = presidential
ongoing = no
previous_election = California gubernatorial election, 1970
previous_year = 1970
next_election = California gubernatorial election, 1978
next_year = 1978
election_date = November 5 1974


nominee1 = Jerry Brown
party1 = California Democratic Party
popular_vote1 = 3,131,648
percentage1 = 50.11


nominee2 = Houston I. Flournoy
party2 = California Republican Party
popular_vote2 = 2,952,954
percentage2 = 47.25
map_

map_size = 300px
map_caption = Election results by county
title = Governor
before_election = Ronald Reagan
before_party = California Republican Party
after_election = Jerry Brown
after_party = California Democratic PartyThe 1974 California gubernatorial election took place on November 5, 1974. The primary elections occurred on June 4, 1974. Incumbent Governor and former actor Ronald Reagan was retiring after two terms. Democratic Secretary of State Jerry Brown, son of former Governor Pat Brown, defeated Republican Controller Houston I. Flournoy in the general election.

Election background

For the first time since 1930, the incumbent governor of California (in this case, Ronald Reagan) was not running for reelection in either the primary or general election. This led to a pair of hotly contested primary elections. On the Republican side, 8 year Lieutenant Governor Edwin Reinecke ran against State Controller Houston I. Flournoy. The moderate Flournoy won a surprisingly easy victory over the more conservative Reinecke. On the Democratic side, there were 4 contenders for the nomination: Secretary of State (and son of former Governor Pat Brown) Jerry Brown, Assembly Speaker Bob Moretti, and the mayors of California's two largest cities at the time - Los Angeles' Sam Yorty and San Francisco's Joseph Alioto. Brown ultimately won the primary, easily outdistancing his nearest rival Alioto.

Brown had the statewide name recognition, benefited from the fact Democrats now outnumbered Republicans in CA, and maintained a lead in most of the early polls. Flournoy began to gain in the polls as the election approached, but Brown won, although by a much smaller margin than predicted. Ironically, when Brown ran for Secretary of State four years earlier, he defeated a man named James Flournoy - no relation to Houston - in a very close election.

Primary results

Democratic

General election results

Election box winning candidate with party link no change
party = California Democratic Party
candidate = Jerry Brown
votes = 3,131,648
percentage = 50.11Election box candidate with party link no change
party = California Republican Party
candidate = Houston I. Flournoy
votes = 2,952,954
percentage = 47.25Election box candidate with party link no change
party = American Independent Party
candidate = Edmon V. Kaiser
votes = 83,869
percentage = 1.34Election box candidate with party link no change
party = Peace and Freedom Party (United States)
candidate = Elizabeth Keathley
votes = 75,004
percentage = 1.20Election box total no change
votes = 6,249,370
percentage = 100.00Election box turnout no change
percentage =46.50Election box gain with party link without swing
winner = California Democratic Party
loser = California Republican Party

Results by county

References