1954 California gubernatorial election

1954 California gubernatorial election

November 2, 1954

Nominee Goodwin Knight Richard Graves Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 2,290,519 1,739,368 Percentage 56.83% 43.16%

County results Knight:      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%      80–90% Graves:      50–60%

Governor before election Goodwin Knight Republican Elected Governor Goodwin Knight Republican

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.

Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial candidate as of to date to carry San Francisco.

Primary elections

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

Democratic primary results^[2]^[3]^[4]

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

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

Republican primary results^[2]^[3]^[5]

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

Independent–Progressive primary

Candidates

• Cornell L. Galbrish

Results

Independent–Progressive primary results^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Republican	Cornell L. Galbrish	1,896	100.00
Total votes			1,896	100.00

Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.

General election results

1954 gubernatorial election, California^[6]^[7]

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
	Republican hold

Results by county

Knight is the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to have won San Francisco County.

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

References

1. "Richard P. Graves; Ran Against Gov. Knight in 1954". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. June 8, 1989. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
2. CA Primary 1954, p. 4.
3. Barclay, p. 598.
4. "CA Governor, 1954 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
5. "CA Governor, 1954 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
6. "CA Governor, 1954". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 11, 2023.
7. CA General 1954, p. 4.

Bibliography

• 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.