1992 United States Senate special election in California

1992 United States Senate special election in California

← 1988 November 3, 1992 1994 →

Nominee Dianne Feinstein John Seymour Party Democratic Republican Popular vote 5,853,651 4,093,501 Percentage 54.3% 38.0%

County results Feinstein:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Seymour:      40–50%      50–60%

U.S. senator before election John Seymour Republican Elected U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein Democratic

Elections in California
Federal government U.S. President 1852 1856 1860 1864 1868 1872 1876 1880 1884 1888 1892 1896 1900 1904 1908 1912 1916 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1940 1944 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 Dem GOP 2000 Dem GOP 2004 Dem GOP 2008 Dem GOP 2012 Dem GOP 2016 Dem GOP 2020 Dem GOP U.S. Senate 1849 1850 1852 sp 1856 1857 sp 1860 1860 sp 1868 1872 1873 1873 sp 1878 1880 1885 1886 sp 1887 1891 1891 sp 1893 1895 sp 1897 1900 sp 1903 1905 1909 1911 1914 1916 1920 1922 1926 1928 1932 1934 1938 1940 1944 1946 1946 sp 1950 1952 1954 sp 1956 1958 1962 1964 1968 1970 1974 1976 1980 1982 1986 1988 1992 1992 sp 1994 1998 2000 2004 2006 2010 2012 2016 2018 2022 2022 sp 2024 U.S. House of Representatives 1849 1851 1852 1854 1856 1859 1861 1863 1864 1867 1868 1871 1872 1875 1876 1879 1880 1882 1884 1886 1888 1890 1892 1894 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1908 1910 1912 1914 1916 1918 1920 1922 1924 1926 1928 1930 1932 1934 1936 1938 1940 1942 1944 1946 12th sp 1948 1950 1952 1954 1956 1958 1960 1962 1964 1966 1968 1970 1972 1974 1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1987 5th sp 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2001 32nd sp 2002 2004 2005 5th sp 48th sp 2006 50th sp 2007 36th sp 2008 12th sp 2009 10th sp 32nd sp 2010 2011 36th sp 2012 2014 2016 2017 34th sp 2018 2020 25th sp 2022 22nd sp v t
State government (executive) Governor 1849 1851 1853 1855 1857 1859 1861 1863 1867 1871 1875 1879 1882 1886 1890 1894 1898 1902 1906 1910 1914 1918 1922 1926 1930 1934 1938 1942 1946 1950 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2003 (recall) 2006 2010 2014 2018 2021 (recall) 2022 Lieutenant governor 1954 1958 1962 1966 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Attorney General 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Secretary of State 1970 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Treasurer 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Controller 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Insurance Commissioner 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 Superintendent of Public Instruction 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 State Board of Equalization 2018 2022 v t
State government (legislative) State Senate 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Special State Assembly 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 Special v t
State government (judicial) Court of Appeals 1994 1998 2002 2006 v t
Propositions 1910–1919 1911 4 7 8 1960–1969 1964 14 1970–1979 1978 6 8 13 1980–1989 1982 8 1986 64 65 1988 98 99 1990–1999 1994 187 1996 196 209 215 218 1998 6 10 227 2000–2009 2000 21 22 36 39 2003 53 54 2004 1A 55 56 57 58 59 60 60A 61 62 63 64 65 66 69 71 2005 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 2006 81 82 83 85 87 89 90 2008 91 92 93 94, 95, 96, and 97 98 and 99 1A 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 2009 1A 1B 1C 1D 1E 1F 2010–2019 2010 13 14 15 16 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 2012 29 30 32 34 37 38 39 2014 47 2016 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 2018 68 69 6 7 9 10 12 2020–2029 2020 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 Full list v t
Elections by year State elections 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2005 2006 2008 Feb Jun Nov 2009 2010 Jun Nov 2012 Jun Nov 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 v t
Anaheim Mayor 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 v t
Bakersfield Mayoral elections 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 v t
Fresno Mayor 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 v t
Irvine Mayoral elections 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 v t
Long Beach Mayor 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 v t
Los Angeles General 2009 2011 2013 2015 2017 2020 Mayor 1896 1898 1900 1902 1904 1906 1909 (sp) 1909 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1929 1933 1937 1938 1941 1945 1949 1953 1957 1961 1965 1969 1973 1977 1981 1985 1989 1993 1997 2001 2005 2009 2013 2017 2022 City Attorney 2009 Board of Supervisors 1980 1996 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Ballot measures 1980 A 1986 U 2008 R 2012 B J 2016 M 2017 S v t
Oakland Mayor 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 v t
Orange County District Attorney 2018 Board of Supervisors 2018 2020 v t
Riverside Mayor 1997 2001 2005 2009 2012 2016 2020 v t
Sacramento Mayor 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 v t
San Bernardino Mayor 2005 2009 2014 2018 v t
San Diego Mayor 1887 1889 1891 1893 1895 1897 1899 1901 1903 1905 1907 1909 1911 1913 1915 1917 1919 1921 1923 1925 1927 1929 1931 1932 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 (sp) 1984 1986 (sp) 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2005 (sp) 2008 2012 2013–14 (sp) 2016 2020 City Attorney 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 Municipal elections 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Special Board of Supervisors 2020 v t
San Francisco Mayor 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 (recall) 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2018 (sp) 2019 2023 District Attorney 2019 2022 (recall) Board of Supervisors 1977 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 Board of Education 2018 2022 (recall) General elections 2004 Mar Nov 2005 2006 Jun Nov 2007 2008 Feb Jun Nov 2009 2010 Jun Nov 2011 2012 Jun Nov 2013 2022 Feb v t
San Jose Mayor 1974 1978 1982 1986 1990 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 v t
Stockton Mayoral elections 2008 2012 2016 2020 v t
v t

The 1992 United States Senate special election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the regular election to the United States Senate in California.

In this special election to complete the unexpired term of Pete Wilson, who resigned to become Governor of California, incumbent Republican Senator John Seymour was defeated by Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein defeated Gray Davis in the Democratic primary, while Seymour defeated William E. Dannemeyer in the Republican primary.

Background[]

The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Wilson won the 1990 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Wilson appointed John Seymour to the Senate to replace himself.

Democratic primary[]

Candidates[]

• Joseph Alioto
• Gray Davis, California State Controller
• Dianne Feinstein, former Mayor of San Francisco (1978–88) and nominee for Governor in 1990
• David Kearns

Results[]

1992 Democratic special U.S. Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dianne Feinstein	1,775,124	54.74%
	Democratic	Gray Davis	1,009,761	32.85%
	Democratic	David Kearns	149,918	4.88%
	Democratic	Joseph Alioto	139,410	4.54%
Total votes			3,074,213	100.00%

Republican primary[]

Candidates[]

• William B. Allen, former Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and candidate for Senator in 1986 and Governor in 1990
• William E. Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from Fullerton
• John Seymour, incumbent U.S. Senator since January 1991 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson)
• Jim Trinity, retired Glendale dentist^[2]

Results[]

1992 Republican special U.S. Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	John Seymour (incumbent)	1,216,096	51.17%
	Republican	William E. Dannemeyer	638,279	26.86%
	Republican	Jim Trinity	306,182	12.88%
	Republican	William B. Allen	216,177	9.10%
Total votes			2,376,734	100.00

General election[]

Results[]

This section does not cite any sources. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (March 2010) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

1992 United States Senate special election in California

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Dianne Feinstein	5,853,651	54.29%
	Republican	John Seymour (incumbent)	4,093,501	37.96%
	Peace and Freedom	Gerald Horne	305,697	2.84%
	American Independent	Paul Meeuwenberg	281,973	2.62%
	Libertarian	Richard Benjamin Boddie	247,799	2.30%
	No party	Write-ins	122	0.00
Invalid or blank votes			591,822	5.20%
Total votes			11,374,565	100.00%
Turnout				54.52
	Democratic gain from Republican

By county[]

County	Feinstein		Seymour		Horne		Meeuwenberg		Boddie		Write-in
	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes	share	votes
Alameda	72.56%	374,675	21.93%	113,223	2.30%	11,866	1.61%	8,323	1.60%	8,257	0.00%	23
Alpine	47.91%	287	42.07%	252	3.01%	18	4.51%	27	2.50%	15	0.00%	0
Amador	48.29%	7,319	42.64%	6,463	2.40%	364	4.07%	617	2.60%	394	0.00%	0
Butte	44.72%	37,396	45.57%	38,111	2.96%	2,477	3.56%	2,980	3.19%	2,666	0.00%	0
Calaveras	46.64%	7,839	42.00%	7,059	2.32%	390	5.38%	905	3.65%	614	0.00%	0
Colusa	37.58%	2,083	54.37%	3,014	2.53%	140	3.18%	176	2.35%	130	0.00%	0
Contra Costa	62.96%	229,988	31.62%	115,507	1.92%	7,011	1.77%	6,470	1.73%	6,320	0.00%	2
Del Norte	50.92%	4,696	39.66%	3,658	2.56%	236	4.98%	459	1.89%	174	0.00%	0
El Dorado	45.34%	28,957	45.56%	29,101	2.37%	1,512	3.80%	2,427	2.93%	1,873	0.00%	0
Fresno	45.07%	94,988	48.48%	102,172	2.32%	4,888	2.25%	4,740	1.88%	3,959	0.00%	4
Glenn	33.10%	2,864	56.73%	4,908	2.51%	217	4.81%	416	2.85%	247	0.00%	0
Humboldt	59.81%	35,178	33.18%	19,513	2.99%	1,756	2.13%	1,253	1.90%	1,117	0.00%	0
Imperial	48.77%	12,433	43.42%	11,070	3.77%	962	2.55%	651	1.48%	378	0.00%	0
Inyo	37.41%	3,067	52.66%	4,318	2.68%	220	4.34%	356	2.90%	238	0.00%	0
Kern	36.31%	63,661	54.46%	95,483	3.22%	5,640	3.59%	6,289	2.43%	4,258	0.00%	3
Kings	40.70%	9,805	50.29%	12,115	3.74%	901	3.57%	860	1.70%	410	0.00%	0
Lake	55.10%	12,732	35.04%	8,096	3.12%	721	3.96%	916	2.77%	641	0.00%	0
Lassen	40.39%	4,005	47.64%	4,724	3.29%	326	5.59%	554	3.10%	307	0.00%	0
Los Angeles	58.72%	1,552,223	34.03%	899,656	3.18%	84,093	2.09%	55,380	1.97%	52,123	0.00%	20
Madera	39.79%	11,682	52.14%	15,309	2.94%	862	3.63%	1,066	1.50%	441	0.00%	0
Marin	71.26%	92,205	24.61%	31,846	1.45%	1,880	0.88%	1,142	1.80%	2,328	0.00%	0
Mariposa	45.38%	3,681	43.98%	3,568	3.09%	251	5.07%	411	2.48%	201	0.00%	0
Mendocino	60.59%	22,000	30.28%	10,993	3.55%	1,290	2.86%	1,039	2.72%	988	0.00%	0
Merced	47.61%	22,010	43.79%	20,246	2.79%	1,289	2.95%	1,365	2.86%	1,323	0.00%	0
Modoc	35.77%	1,572	52.95%	2,327	3.00%	132	5.21%	229	3.07%	135	0.00%	0
Mono	45.11%	1,931	44.64%	1,911	2.83%	121	3.95%	169	3.48%	149	0.00%	0
Monterey	58.89%	66,417	34.74%	39,182	2.10%	2,369	2.30%	2,590	1.96%	2,216	0.00%	0
Napa	57.01%	29,875	35.38%	18,539	2.46%	1,288	2.93%	1,537	2.22%	1,161	0.00%	0
Nevada	46.04%	20,044	44.73%	19,476	2.90%	1,261	3.32%	1,444	3.02%	1,313	0.00%	0
Orange	39.87%	377,170	50.93%	481,810	2.86%	27,056	3.42%	32,316	2.93%	27,729	0.00%	0
Placer	45.75%	40,511	45.73%	40,497	2.38%	2,109	3.30%	2,920	2.84%	2,518	0.00%	0
Plumas	46.44%	4,647	43.64%	4,367	2.30%	230	4.53%	453	3.10%	310	0.00%	0
Riverside	44.56%	187,548	45.44%	191,258	3.52%	14,808	3.95%	16,632	2.54%	10,689	0.00%	0
Sacramento	53.77%	237,722	38.07%	168,318	2.99%	13,228	2.88%	12,716	2.29%	10,113	0.00%	1
San Benito	55.51%	6,938	37.10%	4,637	2.34%	293	2.88%	360	2.16%	270	0.00%	0
San Bernardino	44.35%	200,979	45.67%	206,969	3.64%	16,511	3.71%	16,804	2.61%	11,825	0.01%	48
San Diego	46.97%	442,855	43.63%	411,362	3.21%	30,287	3.09%	29,149	3.10%	29,212	0.00%	3
San Francisco	80.60%	250,972	15.79%	49,165	1.63%	5,062	0.62%	1,919	1.36%	4,233	0.00%	10
San Joaquin	48.90%	76,607	43.11%	67,531	2.78%	4,360	3.27%	5,123	1.94%	3,043	0.00%	1
San L. Obispo	47.47%	48,376	43.94%	44,775	2.54%	2,587	3.08%	3,134	2.97%	3,030	0.00%	0
San Mateo	67.25%	181,990	27.89%	75,470	1.84%	4,983	1.29%	3,478	1.73%	4,684	0.00%	0
Santa Barbara	49.63%	77,900	42.71%	67,043	3.43%	5,386	2.25%	3,535	1.98%	3,101	0.00%	0
Santa Clara	62.19%	364,997	30.98%	181,858	2.15%	12,646	2.20%	12,912	2.47%	14,518	0.00%	2
Santa Cruz	67.88%	76,327	25.40%	28,562	2.49%	2,801	1.84%	2,072	2.39%	2,686	0.00%	1
Shasta	37.81%	25,111	51.48%	34,192	2.90%	1,928	4.62%	3,070	3.19%	2,116	0.00%	0
Sierra	45.12%	818	44.57%	808	2.48%	45	3.47%	63	4.36%	79	0.00%	0
Siskiyou	44.35%	8,963	45.42%	9,180	2.34%	473	5.16%	1,043	2.73%	551	0.00%	0
Solano	59.83%	77,739	32.30%	41,970	2.75%	3,571	2.84%	3,696	2.28%	2,960	0.00%	0
Sonoma	62.84%	121,471	29.38%	56,793	3.02%	5,846	2.43%	4,702	2.33%	4,502	0.00%	0
Stanislaus	50.11%	62,110	41.59%	51,549	2.84%	3,519	3.49%	4,325	1.98%	2,450	0.00%	0
Sutter	36.43%	9,135	53.54%	13,427	2.38%	596	5.24%	1,313	2.42%	606	0.00%	0
Tehama	39.31%	8,253	48.19%	10,116	2.99%	627	5.43%	1,140	4.08%	856	0.00%	0
Trinity	42.41%	2,743	43.66%	2,824	3.80%	246	6.29%	407	3.83%	248	0.00%	0
Tulare	35.71%	30,665	56.46%	48,493	2.72%	2,332	3.11%	2,674	2.00%	1,720	0.00%	0
Tuolumne	50.56%	11,895	40.59%	9,550	2.90%	682	3.40%	801	2.54%	597	0.01%	2
Ventura	45.30%	119,366	46.32%	122,064	2.72%	7,167	3.04%	8,019	2.61%	6,882	0.00%	1
Yolo	61.68%	37,340	31.70%	19,191	2.18%	1,319	2.27%	1,376	2.17%	1,311	0.00%	1
Yuba	40.76%	6,890	46.63%	7,882	3.07%	518	6.09%	1,030	3.45%	584	0.00%	0

Aftermath[]

Feinstein subsequently held seniority over fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer, who was elected on the same day; because Feinstein was elected to complete an existing term, she took office on November 10, only 7 days after the election, while Boxer's term commenced with the beginning of the next session of Congress in January 1993.

See also[]

• 1992 United States Senate elections
• 1992 United States Senate election in California

References[]

External links[]

• JoinCalifornia 1992 Special Election