California 2010 Election Results

Ballot Measures, June 8, 2010

California voters decided 5 statewide ballot measures on June 8, 2010.

Ballot measures

General Election, November 2, 2010

California held its general election on November 2, 2010, deciding 100 legislative seats and 8 statewide offices led by the governorship. No chamber changed party control.

Highlights

• California bucked the national Republican wave: Democrats won every statewide executive office, giving the party full control of state government once Jerry Brown (D) succeeded a Republican governor.
• Brown reclaimed the post he held three decades ago, beating former eBay CEO Meg Whitman (R) by about 13 points even though Whitman spent more than $140 million of her own money.
• Two measures changed how Democrats could pass a budget. Proposition 25 lowered the budget vote threshold from two-thirds to a simple majority, though it kept the two-thirds rule for taxes, and Proposition 26 extended the two-thirds requirement to many fees.
• Democrats also would not draw the 2011 maps. A citizens commission created by voters in 2008 was already set to draw the new legislative lines, Proposition 20 handed it congressional districts too, and voters rejected Proposition 27, which would have returned redistricting to the Legislature.
• Kamala Harris (D) won the attorney general's race, the closest statewide contest, by about 74,000 votes, under one point, becoming the first woman and first minority elected to the post. Steve Cooley (R) had prematurely declared victory on election night, then fell behind as ballots were counted and conceded three weeks later.
• Democrats took two other statewide offices from Republicans. Gavin Newsom (D) unseated Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado (R) by about 11 points, and Dave Jones (D) won the open insurance commissioner's seat over Mike Villines (R) by about 13 points. Secretary of State Debra Bowen (D), Controller John Chiang (D), and Treasurer Bill Lockyer (D) won new terms. In the nonpartisan superintendent's race, Tom Torlakson beat Larry Aceves by about 10 points.
• In the Legislature, no incumbent lost, and Democrats gained 2 open Assembly seats, still short of two-thirds in either chamber. Richard Pan (D) beat Andy Pugno (R) by about 6,300 votes in Republican-held Assembly District 5, and Henry T. Perea (D) won Assembly District 31, held by independent Juan Arambula. No Senate seat changed parties. In Senate District 28, voters re-elected Sen. Jenny Oropeza (D), who had died in October, setting up a special election.
• Voters passed 4 of 9 measures. Besides the budget and redistricting changes, they approved Proposition 22, which bars the state from taking local government and transportation funds. They rejected Proposition 19, which would have legalized marijuana, and Proposition 23, which would have suspended AB 32, the state's recently passed air pollution law.

Legislature

• Assembly (80 seats): 50 D, 27 R, 3 other or vacant before the election, 52 D, 28 R after; control stayed with Democrats.
• Senate (40 seats): 25 D, 14 R, 1 other or vacant before the election, 25 D, 15 R after; control stayed with Democrats.

Statewide races

Legislative races

Ballot measures