1954 California gubernatorial election

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1954 California gubernatorial election

← 1950 November 2, 1954 1958 →
 
Nominee Goodwin Knight Richard Graves
Party Republican Democratic
Popular vote 2,290,519 1,739,368
Percentage 56.83% 43.16%

County results

Knight:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90%

Graves:      50–60%

Governor before election

Goodwin Knight
Republican

Elected Governor

Goodwin Knight
Republican

The 1954 California gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican governor Goodwin Knight, who had ascended to the office after Earl Warren resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States the previous year, won the election to serve his sole term as Governor of California.

Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial candidate as of to date to carry San Francisco.

Primary elections[edit]

Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.

Democratic primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

Results[edit]

Democratic primary results[2][3][4]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Richard P. Graves 860,846 50.62
Republican Goodwin Knight 718,695 42.26
Democratic Roderick J. Wilson 121,212 7.13
Total votes 1,700,753 100.00

Republican primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

Results[edit]

Republican primary results[2][3][5]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Goodwin Knight 1,198,896 89.61
Democratic Richard P. Graves 112,919 8.44
Republican Cornell L. Gabrish 26,084 1.95
Total votes 1,337,899 100.00

Independent–Progressive primary[edit]

Candidates[edit]

  • Cornell L. Galbrish

Results[edit]

Independent–Progressive primary results[2]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Cornell L. Galbrish 1,896 100.00
Total votes 1,896 100.00

Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.

General election results[edit]

1954 gubernatorial election, California[6][7]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Goodwin Knight (incumbent) 2,290,519 56.83
Democratic Richard P. Graves 1,739,368 43.16
No party Scattering 481 0.01
Total votes 4,030,368 100.00
Turnout {{{votes}}}
Republican hold

Results by county[edit]

Knight is the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to have won San Francisco County.

County Knight Votes Graves Votes Others Votes
Kings 88.20% 50,760 11.80% 6,789 0.00% 0
Alpine 80.88% 110 19.12% 26 0.00% 0
Mono 76.20% 602 23.80% 188 0.00% 0
Orange 69.65% 63,148 30.34% 27,511 0.01% 7
Inyo 66.45% 2,662 33.55% 1,344 0.00% 0
Lake 64.98% 3,409 35.02% 1,837 0.00% 0
Del Norte 64.86% 2,584 35.14% 1,400 0.00% 0
San Benito 64.86% 2,911 35.14% 1,577 0.00% 0
Sonoma 64.55% 26,766 35.45% 14,699 0.01% 3
San Diego 64.23% 139,769 35.76% 77,817 0.00% 6
Santa Cruz 64.17% 19,008 35.83% 10,613 0.00% 1
Marin 64.01% 23,830 35.97% 13,392 0.01% 4
Santa Clara 63.41% 72,965 36.58% 42,088 0.01% 9
Humboldt 63.39% 16,324 36.61% 9,426 0.00% 0
Riverside 63.22% 39,047 36.77% 22,706 0.01% 6
San Mateo 63.02% 71,440 36.97% 41,910 0.01% 13
Santa Barbara 62.63% 23,368 37.36% 13,941 0.01% 2
Mariposa 60.80% 1,405 39.20% 906 0.00% 0
Napa 60.59% 10,992 39.41% 7,149 0.00% 0
Mendocino 59.94% 9,146 40.05% 6,111 0.01% 1
Monterey 59.45% 22,593 40.55% 15,411 0.01% 2
Tehama 59.20% 4,566 40.80% 3,147 0.00% 0
Butte 58.92% 14,390 41.08% 10,035 0.00% 0
San Bernardino 58.39% 60,417 41.61% 43,058 0.00% 5
San Luis Obispo 58.34% 12,808 41.65% 9,145 0.01% 2
Imperial 58.25% 7,664 41.75% 5,494 0.00% 0
Sutter 58.15% 4,704 41.85% 3,386 0.00% 0
Colusa 57.76% 2,337 42.24% 1,709 0.00% 0
Glenn 57.45% 3,197 42.55% 2,368 0.00% 0
Los Angeles 57.31% 950,611 42.67% 707,734 0.02% 303
Nevada 57.13% 4,376 42.87% 3,284 0.00% 0
San Joaquin 55.99% 36,111 44.01% 28,384 0.01% 6
San Francisco 55.97% 151,458 44.03% 119,138 0.00% 13
El Dorado 54.87% 3,968 45.13% 3,264 0.00% 0
Modoc 54.70% 1,763 45.30% 1,460 0.00% 0
Tulare 54.64% 21,491 45.36% 17,842 0.00% 1
Calaveras 53.64% 2,574 46.36% 2,225 0.00% 0
Ventura 53.33% 19,926 46.66% 17,434 0.01% 4
Siskiyou 52.72% 6,019 47.28% 5,397 0.00% 0
Kern 51.69% 35,301 48.31% 32,997 0.00% 1
Contra Costa 51.61% 58,340 48.37% 54,681 0.01% 15
Stanislaus 50.77% 21,487 49.22% 20,828 0.01% 4
Alameda 49.93% 143,007 50.05% 143,350 0.02% 52
Yolo 49.77% 7,053 50.20% 7,114 0.04% 5
Sacramento 49.61% 55,277 50.38% 56,137 0.01% 12
Yuba 49.30% 3,462 50.70% 3,561 0.00% 0
Trinity 49.16% 1,137 50.84% 1,176 0.00% 0
Sierra 49.15% 579 50.85% 599 0.00% 0
Fresno 49.12% 44,581 50.87% 46,168 0.00% 2
Solano 48.87% 16,537 51.13% 17,303 0.00% 0
Merced 48.46% 9,924 51.53% 10,553 0.00% 1
Tuolumne 47.60% 2,773 52.40% 3,053 0.00% 0
Placer 46.97% 7,459 53.03% 8,420 0.00% 0
Madera 46.94% 5,147 53.06% 5,817 0.00% 0
Amador 45.86% 1,964 54.14% 2,319 0.00% 0
Lassen 45.30% 2,597 54.70% 3,136 0.00% 0
Shasta 44.69% 6,582 55.30% 8,144 0.01% 1
Plumas 43.50% 2,053 56.50% 2,667 0.00% 0

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Richard P. Graves; Ran Against Gov. Knight in 1954". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. June 8, 1989. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  2. ^ a b c CA Primary 1954, p. 4.
  3. ^ a b Barclay, p. 598.
  4. ^ "CA Governor, 1954 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  5. ^ "CA Governor, 1954 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  6. ^ "CA Governor, 1954". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
  7. ^ CA General 1954, p. 4.

Bibliography[edit]