California State Senate elections, 2012
 California's 2012 elections: • U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State Assembly • Ballot measures |
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The signature filing deadline for candidates wishing to run in these elections was March 9, 2012. The primary election day was June 5, 2012.
Blanket primary
This was the first election year in which California's Top Two Candidates Open Primary Act was in effect. Because of this, all candidates for a seat competed in one blanket primary. The two candidates who received the most votes then advanced to the general election on November 6.
The proposition's intent was to encourage primary competition, which backers of the act said would lead to more moderate legislators being elected. Despite this intention, only a few centrists successfully advanced to the general election. The primary results did reflect an increase in competition, with California's percentage of contested primaries being much higher than the nationwide average.[1]
However, the increase in competition has also led to an increase in campaign spending, due to the fact that competition within political parties will last for the entire year rather than ending after the primary. Experts predict that this will only increase the power of the special interest groups that fund the campaigns.[1]
Raphael J. Sonenshein, executive director of the Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Institute of Public Affairs at Cal State L.A., said the following, "It's hard to argue it's a better system where the incumbent congressman has a huge war chest and nobody else has any money... At least now we can make him spend it."[1]
There were nineteen same-party races in the state legislature in November. Nine congressional districts also had same-party candidates battling.[2] Of the total 28 same-party contests, a study by the Public Policy Institute of California rated only twelve as actually competitive. Minor party candidates, meanwhile, were only able to make it to the general election in three races.[3]
Proposition 40
Proposition 40 was a GOP sponsored ballot measure which supported killing the newly drawn senate districts. It ceased to be campaigned for but remained on the ballot after the state Supreme Court ruled that the current lines will be used in this year's general election.[4]
The goal of the proposition was to prevent Democrats from picking up the two additional seats they needed to have a two-thirds majority in the chamber. If the measure passed, the newly drawn senate districts would have been destroyed on the day that new senators are elected to their positions. They would then serve in those districts for four years, with districts being redrawn during that time.[4]
Incumbents retiring
- See also: California Game Changers
| Name | Party | Current office |
|---|---|---|
| Alan Lowenthal |  Democratic |
Senate District 27 |
| Christine Kehoe | Democratic |
Senate District 39 |
| Elaine Alquist | Democratic |
Senate District 13 |
| Joe Simitian | Democratic |
Senate District 11 |
| Robert Dutton |  Republican |
Senate District 31 |
| Sam Blakeslee | Republican |
Senate District 15 |
| Sharon Runner | Republican |
Senate District 17 |
| Tom Harman | Republican |
Senate District 35 |
| Tony Strickland | Republican |
Senate District 19 |
Majority control
- See also: Partisan composition of state senates
Heading into the November 6 election, the Democratic Party held the majority in the California State Senate:
| California State Senate | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Party | As of November 5, 2012 | After the 2012 Election | |
| Democratic Party | 25 | 26 | |
| Republican Party | 15 | 12 | |
| Total | 40 | 40 | |
Campaign contributions
This chart shows how many candidates ran for state senate in California in past years and the cumulative amount of campaign contributions in state senate races, including contributions in both primary and general election contests. All figures come from Follow The Money.[5]
| Year | Number of candidates | Total contributions |
|---|---|---|
| 2010 | 63 | $23,000,670 |
| 2008 | 59 | $35,169,351 |
| 2006 | 63 | $30,011,241 |
| 2004 | 69 | $32,887,100 |
| 2002 | 53 | $22,148,467 |
In 2010, the candidates running for senate raised a total of $23,000,670 in campaign funds. Their top 10 contributors were: [6]
| Donor | Amount |
|---|---|
| California Democratic Party | $2,591,242 |
| California Republican Party | $1,249,852 |
| AT$T | $240,088 |
| Carol Liu for Senate | $227,997 |
| California Association of Realtors | $195,600 |
| Merced County Democratic Central Cmte | $190,000 |
| Republican Party of Stanislaus County | $174,000 |
| California Dental Association | $171,200 |
| California State Council of Laborers | $166,835 |
| California Professional Fire Fighters | $158,898 |
Qualifications
A candidate shall:
- A. Be at least 30 years of age, a U.S. citizen for nine years, and a resident of California when elected. U.S. Const. Art. I, §3
- B. Have a valid voter registration affidavit on file in the county of residence at the time nomination papers are obtained. §201
- C. Satisfy the following registration requirements:
- 1. Be registered with the political party whose nomination he or she is seeking for not less than three months immediately prior to the time the declaration of candidacy is presented to the county elections official or, if eligible to register for less than three months, for as long as he or she has been eligible to register to vote in California. §8001(a)(1)
- 2. Not have been registered as affiliated with any other qualified political party within twelve months immediately prior to the filing of the declaration of candidacy. §8001(a)(2)[7]
Impact of redistricting
- See also: Redistricting in California
Redistricting in California in 2011 was undertaken by the California Citizens Redistricting Commission for the first time. California voters took the redistricting powers away from legislators through the ballot process in 2008 and 2010.
California state senators represent roughly 1 million citizens while assembly members have about 500,000 constituents.[8] Those are the most citizens per legislator in the country. Some Democrats are hopeful of obtaining a two-thirds majority in the Senate, while skepticism remains about the assembly. The institution of a blanket primary also added uncertainty to the 2012 race.[9]
In California, there are six state senate districts where the partisan registration of Democratic and Republican voters is less than 10 percentage points apart. These districts would be considered "competitive" when looked at strictly with respect to vote party affiliation. The six districts in California are District 5, 21, 27, 29, 31 and 34.
Double representation
There was the possibility that some voters would be re-located either from an odd district to an even district, or vice versa. But even more specifically, there was the possibility that a senator elected in 2010 could have run in 2012 in an even-numbered district. Were that to happen, then the odd-district would be represented by a "custodian" -- selected by the Rules Committee.
Meanwhile, if a senator in an odd-district (elected in 2008) were to be moved into an even-district, then the voters of that district would have two senators -- the new senator, and the old one elected in 2010.
Term limits
The California State Senate has been a term-limited state senate since California voters approved Proposition 140 in 1990. Under the terms of Proposition 140, California's senators can serve no more than two 4-year terms in the state senate. This is a lifetime limit, as is the case in five other states with state senatorial term limits.
There are 40 California State Senators. In 2012, 6 who are current members, 15% of the total senate seats, were ineligible to run for the senate again in November. Of them, 4 were Democratic and 2 were Republican.
In addition to the 6 state senators who left office because of California's term limits, 22 state representatives were also termed-out.
The state senators who were term-limited in 2012 were:
Democrats (4):
Republicans (2):
List of candidates
District 1
- June 5 primary candidates:
Julie Griffith-Flatter: 68,947 
Les Baugh: 37,442
- Ted Gaines: 110,168 Incumbent Gaines first assumed office in 2011.
Bogdan Ambrozewicz: 11,923
November 6 General election candidates:
- Julie Griffith-Flatter: 150,111
- Ted Gaines: 263,256
District 3
Note: Incumbent Mark Leno (D) won re-election in District 11.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Lois Wolk: 116,403 Incumbent Wolk first assumed office in 2008.
- Frank Miranda (Write-In): 2,402 [10]
- Gary Clift (Write-In): 1,341 [10]
November 6 General election candidates:
- Lois Wolk: 233,406
- Frank Miranda: 119,033
District 5
Note: Incumbent Lois Wolk (D) won re-election in District 3.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Cathleen Galgiani: 52,148
- Bill Berryhill: 45,819
- Leroy Ornellas: 30,109
November 6 General election candidates:
- Cathleen Galgiani: 142,425
- Bill Berryhill: 139,502
District 7
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Mark Desaulnier: 91,224 - Incumbent Desaulnier first assumed office in 2008.
- Mark P. Meuser: 68,730
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mark Desaulnier: 229,105
- Mark P. Meuser: 143,707
District 9
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Loni Hancock: 123,624 - Incumbent Hancock first assumed office in 2008.
Mary Catherine McIlroy (Write-In): 785 [10]
Lisa D. Ringer (Write-In): 92 [10]
November 6 General election candidates:
- Loni Hancock: 300,994
- Mary Catherine McIlroy: 49,987
District 11
Note: Incumbent Joe Simitian (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Mark Leno: 118,023 - District 3 incumbent Leno first assumed office in 2008.
- Harmeet Dhillon: 25,828
November 6 General election candidates:
- Mark Leno: 303,241
- Harmeet Dhillon: 54,887
District 13
Note: Incumbent Elaine Alquist (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Christopher Kent Chiang: 16,317
- Gerald Hill: 76,033
- Sally Lieber: 33,566
- John H. Webster: 23,003
November 6 General election candidates:
- Gerald Hill: 218,775
- Sally Lieber: 112,321
District 15
Note: Incumbent Sam Blakeslee (R) did not run for re-election.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- James Beall Jr.: 69,179
- Joe Coto: 55,387
November 6 General election candidates:
- James Beall Jr.: 160,451
- Joe Coto: 122,345
District 17
Note: Incumbent Sharon Runner (R) did not run for re-election.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Bill Monning: 110,890
- Larry Beaman: 75,713
November 6 General election candidates:
- Bill Monning: 236,213
- Larry Beaman: 136,836
District 19
Note: Incumbent Tony Strickland (R) ran for election to California's 26th congressional district.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Jason Hodge: 20,828
- Hannah-Beth Jackson: 64,219
- Mike Stoker: 69,252
November 6 General election candidates:
- Hannah-Beth Jackson: 180,780
- Mike Stoker: 143,819
District 21
Note: Incumbent Carol Liu (D) won re-election in District 25.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Star Moffatt: 27,545
- Stephen Knight: 61,245
November 6 General election candidates:
- Star Moffatt: 112,780
- Stephen Knight: 153,412
District 23
Note: Incumbent Fran Pavley (D) won re-election in District 27.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Melissa Ruth O'Donnell: 37,939
- Bill Emmerson: 70,465 - Incumbent Emmerson first assumed office in 2010.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Melissa Ruth O'Donnell: 123,518
- Bill Emmerson:153,412
District 25
Note: Incumbent Roderick "Rod" Wright (D) won re-election in District 35.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Ameenah Fuller: 6,592
- Carol Liu: 62,930 - Incumbent Liu first assumed office in 2008.
- Gilbert Gonzales: 53,093
November 6 General election candidates:
- Carol Liu: 213,127
- Gilbert Gonzales: 137,651
District 27
Note: Incumbent Alan Lowenthal (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits. He won election to the U.S. House in California's 47th congressional district.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Fran Pavley: 65,552 Incumbent Pavley first assumed office in 2008.
- Todd Zink: 68,384
November 6 General election candidates:
- Fran Pavley: 197,757
- Todd Zink: 171,438
District 29
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Greg Diamond
- Robert "Bob" Huff Incumbent Huff first assumed office in 2008.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Greg Diamond: 131,228
- Robert "Bob" Huff: 160,912
District 31
Note: Incumbent Robert Dutton (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits. He ran for election to the U.S. House in California's 31st congressional district.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Steve Clute: 15,191
- Richard Roth: 21,812
- Jeff Miller: 38,641
November 6 General election candidates:
- Richard Roth: 133,882
- Jeff Miller: 108,320
District 33
Note: Incumbent Mimi Walters (R) won re-election in District 37.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Ricardo Lara: 35,865
- Lee H. Chauser (Write-In): 3[10]
November 6 General election candidates:
- Ricardo Lara: 158,707
- Lee H. Chauser: 38,671
District 35
Note: Incumbent Tom Harman (R) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Paul Butterfield: 11,091
- Roderick "Rod" Wright: 40,312 Incumbent Wright first assumed office in 2008.
- Charlotte Svolos: 18,793
November 6 General election candidates:
- Roderick "Rod" Wright: 192,483
- Charlotte Svolos: 59,077
District 37
Note: Incumbent Bill Emmerson (R) won re-election in District 23.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Steve Young: 50,562
- Mimi Walters: 88,321 Incumbent Walters first assumed office in 2008.
November 6 General election candidates:
- Steve Young: 160,595
- Mimi Walters:213,086
District 39
Note: Incumbent Christine Kehoe (D) was ineligible to run for re-election due to term limits.
- June 5 primary candidates:
- Martin Block: 85,930
- Patrick Marsh: 18,510
- George Plescia: 81,214
November 6 General election candidates:
- Martin Block: 221,012
- George Plescia: 157,305
See also
External links
- Unofficial general election results
- List of candidates who submitted signatures to appear on ballot
- California Secretary of State - Official 2012 Primary Results
- California Secretary of State - 2012 General Election Candidates
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Los Angeles Times, "Few centrists advance in California's new primary system," June 7, 2012
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedreuters - ↑ The Tribune, "California's top-two voting system changes campaigns, but will it alter governance?," October 8, 2012
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Sacramento Bee, "GOP ends effort to kill California Senate districts, won't push Prop. 40," July 13, 2012
- ↑ Follow the Money, California
- ↑ Follow the Money: "California Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions"
- ↑ Qualifications for Senator
- ↑ Sacramento Bee "California's interior could gain under redistricting," December 10, 2010
- ↑ Governing, "Redistricting's Impact on State Legislatures in 2012," September 14, 2011. Retrieved August 24, 2012.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 California Secretary of State, "Certified List of Write-In Candidates for the June 5, 2012, Presidential Primary Election," accessed July 31, 2012
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