California_gubernatorial_election,_1954
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.
Quick Facts Nominee, Party ...
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 County results Knight: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% Graves: 50–60% | |||||||||||||||||
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Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial candidate as of to date to carry San Francisco.
Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities[1]
- Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor (cross-filing)
- Roderick J. Wilson
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | ||
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Republican primary
Candidates
- Cornell L. Gabrish
- Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities (cross-filing)
- Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | ||
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Independent–Progressive primary
Candidates
- Cornell L. Galbrish
Results
More information Party, Candidate ...
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Cornell L. Galbrish | 1,896 | 100.00 | |
| Total votes | 1,896 | 100.00 | ||
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Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.
More information Party, Candidate ...
| 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 | ||||
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Results by county
Knight is the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to have won San Francisco County.
More information County, Knight ...
| 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 |
Close
- "Richard P. Graves; Ran Against Gov. Knight in 1954". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. June 8, 1989. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- CA Primary 1954, p. 4.
- "CA Governor, 1954 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- "CA Governor, 1954 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- "CA Governor, 1954". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
- CA General 1954, p. 4.
- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State. State of California. Statement of Vote. Direct Primary Election June 8, 1954. California State Printing Office.
- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State. State of California. Statement of Vote. General Election November 2, 1954. California State Printing Office.
- Barclay, Thomas S. (December 1954). "The 1954 Election in California". The Western Political Quarterly. 7 (4). University of Utah on behalf of the Western Political Science Association: 597–604. Retrieved July 11, 2023.