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California state executive official elections, 2014

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 California's 2014 elections
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Table of Contents
Partisan breakdown
Candidates by office
Voter turnout
Key deadlines
State executive organization
Ballotpedia reports
Recent news
See also
See also
News • Calendar

Eight state executive positions were up for election in 2014 in the state of California.

California uses a top-two primary system, in which all candidates appear on the same ballot. The top two vote-getters, regardless of party affiliation, move on to the general election. In states that do not use a top-two system, all parties are usually able to put forward a candidate for the general election if they choose to.[1][2]

Unlike the top-two format used in some states (Louisiana and Georgia special elections for example), a general election between the top-two candidates in California occurs regardless of whether the top candidate received 50% of the vote in the first round of elections.

As of June 2025, California was one of five states to use a top-two primary system, or a variation of the top-two system. See here for more information.

For information about which offices are nominated via primary election, see this article.

The following offices were elected in 2014 in California:

In addition to candidate lists and election results, this page includes information about important dates, how the state's executive branch is organized, as well as links to articles about recent news in races across the state.

Partisan breakdown

Heading into the November 4 election, the Democratic Party held seven of the eight state executive seats in California.

California State Executives -- Partisan Breakdown
Party As of November 4, 2014 After the 2014 election
     Democratic Party 7 7
     Republican Party 0 0
     Nonpartisan 1 1
Total 8 8

Candidates by office

Office Incumbent Assumed Office Incumbent running? General Election Candidates 2015 Winner Partisan Switch?
Governor Jerry Brown
Jerry Brown 1.jpg		 2011 Yes[3][4] Democratic Party Jerry Brown
Republican Party Neel Kashkari		 Democratic Party Jerry Brown No
Lieutenant Governor Gavin Newsom
Gavin Newsom.jpg		 2011 Yes[4] Democratic Party Gavin Newsom
Republican Party Ron Nehring		 Democratic Party Gavin Newsom No
Secretary of State Debra Bowen
Debra Bowen.jpg		 2007 Term-limited Democratic Party Alex Padilla
Republican Party Pete Peterson		 Democratic Party Alex Padilla No
Attorney General Kamala Harris
Kamala Harris.jpg		 2011 Yes[5] Democratic Party Kamala D. Harris
Republican Party Ronald Gold		 Democratic Party Kamala D. Harris No
Treasurer Bill Lockyer
Bill Lockyer.jpg		 2007 Term-limited Democratic Party John Chiang
Republican Party Greg Conlon		 Democratic Party John Chiang No
Controller John Chiang
John Chiang.jpg		 2007 Term-limited, running for treasurer[6] Democratic Party Betty Yee
Republican Party Ashley Swearengin		 Democratic Party Betty Yee No
Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson
Tom-Torlakson.jpg		 2011 Yes Grey.png Tom Torlakson
Grey.png Marshall Tuck		 Grey.png Tom Torlakson No
Commissioner of Insurance Dave Jones
Dave Jones.jpg		 2011 Yes[7] Democratic Party Dave Jones
Republican Party Ted Gaines		 Democratic Party Dave Jones No


Primary election results

Governor

Governor of California, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Brown Incumbent 54.3% 2,354,769
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngNeel Kashkari 19.4% 839,767
     Republican Tim Donnelly 14.8% 643,236
     Republican Andrew Blount 2.1% 89,749
     Republican Glenn Champ 1.8% 76,066
     Green Luis Rodriguez 1.5% 66,876
     Peace and Freedom Cindy L. Sheehan 1.2% 52,707
     Republican Alma Marie Winston 1.1% 46,042
     Nonpartisan Robert Newman 1% 44,120
     Democratic Akinyemi Agbede 0.9% 37,024
     Republican Richard Aguirre 0.8% 35,125
     Nonpartisan "Bo" Bogdan Ambrozewicz 0.3% 14,929
     Nonpartisan Janel Hyeshia Buycks 0.3% 12,136
     Nonpartisan Rakesh Kumar Christian 0.3% 11,142
     Nonpartisan Joe Leicht 0.2% 9,307
Total Votes 4,332,995
Election results California Secretary of State

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of California, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngGavin Newsom Incumbent 49.9% 2,082,902
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRon Nehring 23.4% 976,128
     Republican David Fennell 8.6% 357,242
     Republican George Yang 8% 333,857
     Democratic Eric Korevaar 5.6% 232,596
     Green Jena Goodman 2.4% 98,338
     Americans Elect Alan Reynolds 1.3% 56,027
     Peace and Freedom Amos Johnson 0.9% 39,675
Total Votes 4,176,765
Election results California Secretary of State

Attorney General

Attorney General of California, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKamala Harris Incumbent 53.2% 2,177,480
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngRonald Gold 12.3% 504,091
     Republican Phil Wyman 11.7% 479,468
     Republican David King 9% 368,190
     Republican John Haggerty 8.2% 336,433
     Nonpartisan Orly Taitz 3.2% 130,451
     Libertarian Jonathan Jaech 2.4% 99,056
Total Votes 4,095,169
Election results via California Secretary of State

Secretary of State

California Secretary of State, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngAlex Padilla 30.2% 1,217,371
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngPete Peterson 29.7% 1,194,715
     Democratic Leland Yee 9.4% 380,361
     Nonpartisan Dan Schnur 9.2% 369,898
     Democratic Derek Cressman 7.6% 306,375
     Republican Roy Allmond 6.4% 256,668
     Democratic Jeff Drobman 4.4% 178,521
     Green David Curtis 3% 121,618
Total Votes 4,025,527
Election results California Secretary of State

Treasurer

California Treasurer, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Chiang 55% 2,250,098
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngGreg Conlon 38.4% 1,571,532
     Green Ellen Brown 6.6% 270,388
Total Votes 4,092,018
Election results via California Secretary of State

Controller

California Controller, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngAshley Swearengin 24.8% 1,001,473
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBetty Yee 21.7% 878,195
     Democratic John Perez 21.7% 877,714
     Republican David Evans 21% 850,109
     Green Laura Wells 5.7% 231,352
     Democratic Tammy D. Blair 5% 200,532
Total Votes 4,039,375
Election results via California Secretary of State


Superintendent of Public Instruction

California Superintendent of Public Instruction, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngTom Torlakson Incumbent 46.5% 1,767,257
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngMarshall Tuck 28.9% 1,098,441
     Nonpartisan Lydia Gutierrez 24.5% 931,719
Total Votes 3,797,417
Election results via California Secretary of State


Insurance Commissioner

California Insurance Commissioner, Blanket Primary, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDave Jones Incumbent 53.1% 2,106,671
     Republican Green check mark transparent.pngTed Gaines 41.6% 1,651,242
     Peace and Freedom Nathalie Hrizi 5.4% 212,991
Total Votes 3,970,904
Election results California Secretary of State


General election results

The general election took place on November 4, 2014.

Governor

Governor of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJerry Brown Incumbent 60% 4,388,368
     Republican Neel Kashkari 40% 2,929,213
Total Votes 7,317,581
Election results California Secretary of State, "Official election results," accessed April 6, 2017

Lieutenant Governor

Lieutenant Governor of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngGavin Newsom Incumbent 57.2% 4,107,051
     Republican Ron Nehring 42.8% 3,078,039
Total Votes 7,185,090
Election results via California Secretary of State

Attorney General

Attorney General of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngKamala Harris Incumbent 57.5% 4,102,649
     Republican Ronald Gold 42.5% 3,033,476
Total Votes 7,136,125
Election results via California Secretary of State

Secretary of State

Secretary of State of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngAlex Padilla 53.6% 3,799,711
     Republican Pete Peterson 46.4% 3,285,334
Total Votes 7,085,045
Election results via California Secretary of State

Treasurer

Treasurer of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngJohn Chiang 58.8% 4,176,793
     Republican Greg Conlon 41.2% 2,925,895
Total Votes 7,102,688
Election results via California Secretary of State

Controller

California Controller, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngBetty Yee 54% 3,810,304
     Republican Ashley Swearengin 46% 3,249,668
Total Votes 7,059,972
Election results via California Secretary of State

Superintendent of Public Instruction

Superintendent of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Nonpartisan Green check mark transparent.pngTom Torlakson Incumbent 52.1% 3,167,212
     Nonpartisan Marshall Tuck 47.9% 2,906,989
Total Votes 6,074,201
Election results via California Secretary of State

Insurance Commissioner

Insurance Commissioner of California, 2014
Party Candidate Vote % Votes
     Democratic Green check mark transparent.pngDave Jones Incumbent 57.5% 4,038,165
     Republican Ted Gaines 42.5% 2,981,951
Total Votes 7,020,116
Election results via California Secretary of State

Voter turnout

Political scientist Michael McDonald's United States Elections Project studied voter turnout in the 2014 election by looking at the percentage of eligible voters who headed to the polls. McDonald used voting-eligible population (VEP), or the number of eligible voters independent of their current registration status, to calculate turnout rates in each state on November 4. He also incorporated ballots cast for the highest office in each state into his calculation. He estimated that 81,687,059 ballots were cast in the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, representing 35.9 percent of the VEP.[8] By comparison, 61.6 percent of VEP voted in the 2008 presidential election and 58.2 percent of VEP voted in the 2012 presidential election.[9]

Quick facts

  • According to PBS Newshour, voter turnout in the 2014 midterms was the lowest since the 1942 midterms, which took place during the nation's involvement in World War II.[10]
  • Forty-three states and the District of Columbia did not surpass 50 percent turnout in McDonald's analysis.
  • The three states with the lowest turnout according to McDonald's analysis were Texas (28.3 percent), Tennessee (28.6 percent), and Indiana (28.8 percent).
  • Maine (58.5 percent), Wisconsin (56.5 percent), and Colorado (54.5 percent) were the three states with the highest turnout.
  • Twelve states increased voter turnout in 2014 compared to the 2010 midterm elections.[11]

Note: Information from the United States Elections Project was last updated on December 16, 2014.

Key deadlines

Deadline Event
February 20, 2014 Deadline for candidates to file signatures in lieu of a filing fee
March 7, 2014 Candidate filing deadline if paying fee for ballot access
June 3, 2014 Primary election
November 4, 2014 General election
November 6-December 2, 2014 State Canvassing Board meeting to certify election results
January 5, 2015 Inauguration day for state executive officials in general election

State executive organization

Executive officials in California are part of a three-pronged government structure that includes state legislators and state judges. The following chart details the relationship among different branches of California's state government:

California exec org chart.png

Ballotpedia reports

To learn more about developments in these races, check out the following news articles from Ballotpedia:

Recent news

This section links to a Google news search for the term "California + State + Executive +-Obama + Elections"

California state executive elections, 2014 News Feed

See also

California

Footnotes

  1. ↑ National Conference of State Legislatures, "State Primary Election Types," accessed August 13, 2024
  2. ↑ California Secretary of State, "Primary Elections in California," accessed August 13, 2024
  3. ↑ Los Angeles Times, "Gov. Jerry Brown announces re-election bid," February 27, 2014
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 California Secretary of State, "Campaign Finance:Statement of Intention," accessed September 12, 2013
  5. ↑ California Secretary of State, "HARRIS 2014; RE-ELECT ATTORNEY GENERAL KAMALA," accessed September 12, 2013
  6. ↑ John Chiang for State Treasurer 2014 Official Campaign Website, "Homepage," accessed September 12, 2013
  7. ↑ The Sacramento Bee, "California's insurance commissioner seeks re-election, more power," December 22, 2013
  8. ↑ United States Elections Project, "2014 November General Election Turnout Rates," November 7, 2014
  9. ↑ TIME, "Voter Turnout in Midterm Elections Hits 72-Year Low," November 10, 2014
  10. ↑ PBS, "2014 midterm election turnout lowest in 70 years," November 10, 2014
  11. ↑ U.S. News & World Report, "Midterm Turnout Down in 2014," November 5, 2014


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