2002 California gubernatorial election


The 2002 California gubernatorial election was an election that occurred on November 5, 2002. Gray Davis, a Democrat and the incumbent governor of California, defeated the [California California Republican Party|Republican Party|Republican] challenger Bill Simon by 5% and was re-elected to a second four-year term. Davis would be recalled less than a year into his next term.
Primary elections were held in March. As a result of California Democratic Party v. Jones, the nonpartisan blanket primary was replaced by partisan primaries. Davis faced no major competitor in the Democratic primary and won the nomination. Simon defeated former Los Angeles mayor Richard Riordan in the Republican primary. Davis ran a series of negative advertisements against Riordan in the primary. Riordan was seen as a moderate and early state polls showed him defeating Gray Davis in the general election. This election is the last time that a gubernatorial candidate was elected governor of California by a single-digit margin.

Background

In 2000, the United States Supreme Court in California Democratic Party v. Jones struck down California's blanket primary.

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Mosemarie Boyd
  • Anselmo Chavez
  • Gray Davis, incumbent governor since 1999
  • Charles Pineda Jr.

Republican primary

Candidates

Campaign

Polls showed that, as a moderate, Riordan would be a more formidable challenger in the general election than his conservative opponents. Polls even showed that Riordan would defeat Davis. However, the end of the blanket primary meant that only non-partisans and registered Republicans could vote in the primary, making it more difficult for Riordan to win, given that primary voters are typically much more ideological than those who vote in the general election.
During the early stages of the campaign, Riordan focused his campaign and advertisements against Davis. Davis took the unusual step of taking out campaign advertisements against Riordan, questioning his support for anti-abortion politicians and judges, during the primary season. Davis stated that Riordan had attacked his record and that his campaign was defending his record. Other advertisements cited Riordan's call for a moratorium on capital punishment and contrasted against Davis's strong support for it. These advertisements appear to have contributed to Riordan's ultimate defeat by the more staunchly conservative Simon.
The primary campaign also included negative attacks between Riordan and Bill Jones. Jones advertisements highlighted that Riordan had contributed money to Davis in the past and had called Bill Clinton, "the greatest leader in the free world." Riordan's advertisements highlighted that Jones had also contributed money to Davis. By late February, Riordan's strong polling lead in the Republican had begun to slip.

General election

Candidates

Campaign

Davis was re-elected in the November 2002 general election following a long and bitter campaign against Simon, marked by accusations of ethical lapses on both sides and widespread voter apathy. Simon was also hurt by a financial fraud scandal that tarnished his reputation. Davis' campaign featured several negative advertisements that highlighted Simon's financial fraud scandal. Simon attacked Davis for supposedly fundraising in the lieutenant governor of California's office during his time as Lieutenant Governor; the attack backfired when it turned out the photograph had been instead taken in a private home in Santa Monica.
The 2002 gubernatorial race was the most expensive in California state history with over $100 million spent. Davis' campaign was better financed; Davis had over $26 million in campaign reserves more than Simon in August 2002. Davis won re-election with 47.3% of the vote to Simon's 42.4%. It had the lowest voter turnout percentage in modern gubernatorial history, allowing for a lower than normal number of signatures required for a recall election, which ultimately qualified in 2003. Davis won the election but the majority of the voters disliked Davis and did not approve of his job performance.

Results

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

Results by congressional district

Davis won 33 of 53 congressional districts.
DistrictDavisSimonCamejoRepresentative
46.9%36.3%11.2%Mike Thompson
31.1%57.6%5.3%Wally Herger
34.0%54.5%5.8%Doug Ose
30.6%58.5%5.6%John Doolittle
50.4%35.3%8.7%Bob Matsui
53.1%28.6%13.2%Lynn Woolsey
59.7%29.1%5.9%George Miller
66.7%13.9%16.4%Nancy Pelosi
67.5%12.8%16.2%Barbara Lee
49.9%39.1%6.2%Ellen Tauscher
40.9%50.5%3.8%Richard Pombo
60.3%27.3%8.6%Tom Lantos
62.8%26.7%6.3%Pete Stark
54.9%31.3%8.8%Anna Eshoo
55.0%33.4%6.3%Mike Honda
56.3%31.3%6.0%Zoe Lofgren
55.4%32.3%7.2%Sam Farr
50.5%40.2%3.1%Gary Condit
50.5%40.2%3.1%Dennis Cardoza
35.7%56.6%2.7%George Radanovich
53.1%40.6%2.1%Cal Dooley
32.4%60.9%1.8%Bill Thomas
32.4%60.9%1.8%Devin Nunes
28.8%64.3%1.9%Lois Capps
28.8%64.3%1.9%Bill Thomas
48.0%40.7%5.8%Elton Gallegly
48.0%40.7%5.8%Lois Capps
39.4%52.1%3.0%Brad Sherman
39.4%52.1%3.0%Elton Gallegly
34.3%57.5%2.4%Buck McKeon
37.6%54.3%3.0%Howard Berman
37.6%54.3%3.0%David Dreier
50.1%40.0%4.1%Adam Schiff
50.1%40.0%4.1%Brad Sherman
62.2%27.9%5.0%David Dreier
62.2%27.9%5.0%Howard Berman
52.2%38.7%4.7%Henry Waxman
52.2%38.7%4.7%Adam Schiff
57.1%33.0%5.3%Xavier Becerra
57.1%33.0%5.3%Henry Waxman
68.6%19.5%7.5%Hilda Solis
68.6%19.5%7.5%Xavier Becerra
59.5%31.9%3.6%Diane Watson
59.5%31.9%3.6%Hilda Solis
74.7%15.2%5.2%Lucille Roybal-Allard
74.7%15.2%5.2%Diane Watson
63.4%27.3%4.7%Grace Napolitano
63.4%27.3%4.7%Lucille Roybal-Allard
73.6%18.6%3.0%Maxine Waters
49.5%39.8%4.9%Jane Harman
67.7%23.6%3.7%Juanita Millender-McDonald
62.3%28.7%4.3%Steve Horn
62.3%28.7%4.3%Grace Napolitano
54.1%38.0%3.3%Ed Royce
54.1%38.0%3.3%Linda Sánchez
34.6%57.7%2.4%Jerry Lewis
34.6%57.7%2.4%Ed Royce
35.5%55.5%2.2%Gary Miller
35.5%55.5%2.2%Jerry Lewis
31.9%61.1%2.2%Joe Baca
31.9%61.1%2.2%Gary Miller
57.4%34.6%2.8%Ken Calvert
57.4%34.6%2.8%Joe Baca
37.0%55.4%2.5%Mary Bono
37.0%55.4%2.5%Ken Calvert
42.3%51.5%1.7%Dana Rohrabacher
42.3%51.5%1.7%Mary Bono
36.4%55.8%2.9%Loretta Sanchez
36.4%55.8%2.9%Dana Rohrabacher
50.8%40.3%3.1%Christopher Cox
50.8%40.3%3.1%Loretta Sanchez
32.8%59.4%2.8%Darrell Issa
32.8%59.4%2.8%Christopher Cox
32.9%59.8%2.0%Susan Davis
32.9%59.8%2.0%Darrell Issa
37.3%55.6%2.6%Bob Filner
37.3%55.6%2.6%Duke Cunningham
53.5%39.7%2.3%Duke Cunningham
53.5%39.7%2.3%Bob Filner
34.8%58.0%1.9%Duncan L. Hunter
50.6%39.6%4.8%Susan Davis