1994 California gubernatorial election
The 1994 California gubernatorial election was held on November 8, 1994, in the midst of that year's "Republican Revolution". Incumbent [California California Republican Party|Republican Party|Republican] Pete Wilson easily won re-election over his main challenger, [California California Democratic Party|Democratic Party|Democratic] State Treasurer Kathleen Brown, the daughter of Pat Brown and younger sister of Jerry Brown, both of whom had previously served as governor. Primaries were held on June 3, 1994.
Although Wilson initially trailed Brown in the polls as a result of the state's faltering economy, his signature opposition to affirmative action and state services for illegal immigrants eventually led to his win. Wilson won 25% of the African-American vote, a fairly strong performance for a Republican; however, he won only 25% of the Latino vote, a weak performance which was widely attributed to his support of Proposition 187. This was the first California gubernatorial election since 1974 in which the winner was of a different party from the incumbent president.
Republican primary
Candidates
- Louis Darrigo, Aptos farmer and contractor
- Jim Hart, San Diego resident
- Ron Unz, Palo Alto businessman
- Pete Wilson, incumbent Governor
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Kathleen Brown, California Treasurer
- Mark Calney, Los Angeles resident
- John Garamendi, California Insurance Commissioner and candidate for Governor in 1982
- Tom Hayden, State Senator from Los Angeles
- Charles Pineda Jr., Sacramento criminal justice administrator
- Jonathan Trip, Burbank business consultant
General election
Candidates
- Kathleen Brown, California Treasurer
- Gloria Estela LaRiva, San Francisco political organizer and printer
- Jerome McCready, Castroville businessman
- Richard Rider, San Diego stockbroker and financial planner
- Pete Wilson, incumbent Governor and former U.S. Senator