1986 California State Senate election
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November 4, 1986
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20 out of 40 seats in the California State Senate 21 seats needed for a majority | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The 1986 California State election was held on November 4, 1986, to determine which party would control the California State Senate for the following two years. All even-numbered seats were up for election, which consisted of half of the 40 senate seats. The primary was held on June 3, 1986. Prior to the election 26 seats were held by Democrats and 14 were held by Republicans. The general election saw Democrats losing a single seat, but retained control over the California State Senate.[1]
Retirements
- 8th District: John Francis Foran (D) retired.
- 16th District: Walter W. Stiern (D) retired.
Closest races
Seats where the margin of victory was under 10%:
- District 8, 1.40% (gain)
- District 16, 4.00% (gain)
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Barry Keene (incumbent) | 56.20% | ||
| Republican | Richard Brann | 41.10% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | Pamela Elizondo | 2.70% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Jim Nielsen (incumbent) | 64.50% | ||
| Democratic | Franklin S. Cibula | 35.50% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Leroy F. Greene (incumbent) | 60.40% | ||
| Republican | Sandy Smoley | 39.60% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Quentin L. Kopp | 46.90% | ||
| Democratic | Lou Papan | 45.50% | ||
| Republican | Russell Gray | 7.60% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Independent gain from Democratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Bill Lockyer (incumbent) | 71.20% | ||
| Republican | Bruce W. Bergondy | 28.80% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dan McCorquodale (incumbent) | 56.00% | ||
| Republican | Tom Legan | 44.00% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Kenneth L. Maddy (incumbent) | 68.90% | ||
| Democratic | Michael T. LeSage | 31.10% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Don Rogers | 52.00% | ||
| Democratic | Jim Young | 48.00% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Republican gain from Democratic | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Gary K. Hart (incumbent) | 65.00% | ||
| Republican | DeWayne Holmdahl | 33.50% | ||
| Libertarian | Jay C. Wood | 1.50% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Robbins (incumbent) | 65.30% | ||
| Republican | Lynn Robert Davis | 34.70% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Herschel Rosenthal (incumbent) | 67.90% | ||
| Republican | Daniel Ward Sias | 29.10% | ||
| Libertarian | Joseph A. Russell | 1.70% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | Abby Kirk | 1.30% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Art Torres (incumbent) | 72.10% | ||
| Republican | Lee David Prentiss | 24.40% | ||
| Libertarian | Laura G. Brown | 3.50% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Joseph B. Montoya (incumbent) | 100.0% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Diane Watson (incumbent) | 78.60% | ||
| Republican | Armand M. Vaquer | 21.40% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ralph C. Dills (incumbent) | 72.00% | ||
| Republican | Anthony Jay Gray | 25.20% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | Lee H. Chauser | 2.80% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Ed Royce (incumbent) | 65.80% | ||
| Democratic | Francis X. Hoffman | 34.20% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Ruben Ayala (incumbent) | 65.90% | ||
| Republican | Steve Turner | 34.10% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Robert B. Presley (incumbent) | 61.40% | ||
| Republican | Anne Richardson | 38.60% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | William A. Craven (incumbent) | 85.10% | ||
| Libertarian | Betsy A. Mill | 14.90% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Republican hold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Wadie P. Deddeh (incumbent) | 69.40% | ||
| Republican | William M. Hoover | 28.60% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | William R. Beard | 2.00% | ||
| Total votes | 100.0% | |||
| Democratic hold | ||||
Notes
- ^ Republican senator Milton Marks (3rd District) switched over to the Democrats on January 8, 1986.
References
- ^ "November 4, 1986". joincalifornia.com. Retrieved 2025-11-26.