1962 California gubernatorial election
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The 1962 California gubernatorial election was held on November 6, 1962. The Democratic incumbent, Pat Brown, ran for re-election against former U.S. vice president and 1960 Republican presidential nominee Richard Nixon. In his concession speech the following morning, Nixon accused the media of favoring his opponent Brown, stating that it was his "last press conference" and "You won't have Nixon to kick around any more."[1] Six years later, Nixon was elected President of the United States, and exactly ten years after this press conference he was re-elected in a landslide.
Background
Pat Brown was a relatively popular Democratic governor in California who was first elected in 1958.[2] However, he was seen as vulnerable due to criticisms of indecision and occasional errors in policy.[3]
In 1958, the Democratic Party had swept all but a single statewide office, and all of the incumbents were seeking reelection in 1962.[3] Despite 1958's near-sweep by Democrats and the state having more registered Democrats than Republicans (4,289,997 registered Democrats on election day 1962 compared to 3,002,038 registered Republicans),[3] at the time, California was generally considered a Republican stronghold, with Republican governors and senators from the end of World War II until the election of Democrat Clair Engle to the Senate in 1958, and Brown's election as governor the same year. The state had voted for Eisenhower in 1952 and 1956, and Nixon carried the state over John F. Kennedy in the 1960 Presidential election.
In 1962, with popular incumbent Senator Thomas Kuchel essentially guaranteed to win re-election, the Republican Party felt it could also gain the governorship and win the state back from the Democrats. They turned to former Vice President Richard Nixon, the biggest name at the time in the California Republican Party.[4] Nixon had a record of winning statewide elections in California, having been elected Senator in 1950, carrying the state twice (in 1952 and 1956) as the vice presidential candidate on the ticket with Dwight D. Eisenhower, and carrying the state against Kennedy in the 1960 presidential election.[4][3] They also felt a convincing win could be a springboard for Nixon to challenge Kennedy again in 1964, since he narrowly lost to him in 1960.[4]
Primary elections
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Pat Brown, incumbent Governor of California
- Alfred L. Hamilton, state parole agent[6]
- Phillip Moore, public relations man[6]
- John C. Stuart, cost analyst[6]
Campaign
Brown, a relatively popular incumbent, faced no serious opposition in the Democratic Party primary. In whole, the Democratic primaries for statewide offices showed a lack of strong division in the party, with the exception of William McKesson's unsuccessful challenge to incumbent Glenn M. Anderson in the race for the Democratic nomination for lieutenant governor.[3]
Brown was endorsed by the
Brown's camp emphasized accomplishments of Brown's legislative record, including programs related to water and education.[3] Public relations consultants played a role in reshaping Brown's image as a forceful and decisive leader.[3]
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pat Brown | 1,739,792 | 81.42 | |
Democratic | John C. Stuart | 103,654 | 4.85 | |
Democratic | Phillip Moore | 100,237 | 4.69 | |
Democratic | Alfred L. Hamilton | 90,472 | 4.23 | |
Republican | Joseph C. Shell (write-in) | 66,712 | 3.12 | |
Republican | Richard Nixon (write-in) | 35,883 | 1.68 | |
Total votes | 2,136,750 | 100.00 |
Republican primary
Candidates
- William Potter Gale, perennial candidate
- Richard Nixon, former U.S. Senator (1950–1953), former Vice President of the United States (1953–1961), and Republican nominee for president of the United States in 1960
- Joseph C. Shell, minority leader of the California State Assembly[3]
Withdrew
- Goodwin Knight, former governor of California (withdrew January 16, 1962)[3]
- Harold J. Powers, former lieutenant governor of California (withdrew March 1962)[3]
Campaign
Nixon announced his candidacy for governor on September 27, 1961, roughly eleven months after losing the 1960 presidential election. His bid was largely seen as a step towards either a 1964 or 1968 presidential campaign.[3] Nixon's 1962 campaign was managed by H. R. Haldeman.[11]
On January 16, 1962, former governor
Democrats took a hands-off approach to dealing with the Republican primary, letting Nixon and Shell duke it out between themselves without Democratic engagement. Nixon had wanted to hold a series of debates with Brown during the primary campaign season, but Brown did not engage in such debates with Nixon.[3]
Shell hoped to win the support of conservative Republicans, and hoped that there would be lower Republican primary turnout that would lead to the participating electorate having a significantly conservative lean.[3] In announcing his candidacy, Shell had claimed to be seeking the support of voters that supported,
A commitment to individual liberty limited only by those powers clearly enumerated in our constitution without reducing our ability to develop private property and free individual enterprise.[3]
In terms of party leadership support, Nixon had far more support from the California Republican Party's state central executive committee than Shell did. However, a fight emerged between Nixon and Shell backers in gaining organizational power at the county and precinct level organizations of the party.[3]
Nixon, on February 17, 1962 declared that he would not seek the endorsement of the California Republican Assembly (CRA). This was possibly due to the fact that he had previously, in his 1950 U.S. Senate primary, lost the endorsement of a subcommittee of the organization, and he perhaps was reluctant to seek support from the organization again. On February 17, 1962, Nixon declared that he would not, himself, provide backing to any candidate involved with the John Birch Society, remarking that he had, "no commitment to endorse any candidate who seeks or accepts the support of the John Birch Society, even if they were the Republican Party nominees. Nixon quickly recanted his decision not to seek the endorsement of the CRA, and decided to indicate that he would seek their nomination and would additionally propose a resolution at their convention which would renounce the John Birch Society.[3]
Nixon beat Shell for support of the subcommittee of the CRA's fact-finding committee by a 7–5 vote. He again beat Shell for the support of the full fact-finding committee's support in a 34–25 vote. In the floor vote of the CRA convention, Nixon beat Shell for the CRA's endorsement in a 263–176 vote. Additionally, at the convention, Nixon saw a supporter of his, former
Shell traveled extensively during his campaign by utilizing his own
Nixon campaigned across the state, often addressing sizable and curious crowds. Nixon ignored attacks from Shell in hopes not to ward off conservative support in the general election. Nixon's speeches dealt with subjects such as states' rights, reforms to taxes and budgets, addressing crime, and government efficiency. It had been over a decade since Nixon had run for state office and he made a number of embarrassing political slip-ups that made him appear under-prepared, such as referring to the California State Capitol as the "state house". It was also used against Nixon that he was made to admit that he had made a factual error in his book Six Crises regarding its account of the case of Alger Hiss.[3]
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Republican | Richard Nixon | 1,285,151 | 65.43 | |
Republican | Joseph C. Shell | 656,542 | 33.42 | |
Republican | William Potter Gale | 17,369 | 0.88 | |
Democratic | Pat Brown (write-in) | 5,236 | 0.27 | |
Total votes | 1,964,298 | 100.00 |
Although Nixon beat Shell in the primary, 1,285,151 votes (65.4 percent) to Shell's 656,542 (33.4 percent), the contest was bitter, and Nixon did not reach out to conservative Shell supporters, which weakened him in the general election.[12]
Prohibition primary
Candidates
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Prohibition
|
Robert L. Wyckoff | 1,944 | 65.43 | |
Total votes | 1,944 | 100.00 |
General election
Campaign
In a bitter and expensive campaign, Brown and Nixon campaigned with great zeal and effort. During the campaign, Nixon accused Brown of being weak on communism and crime. Brown alleged that Nixon was only interested in holding the governorship in order to utilize it as a steppingstone to the presidency.[11] Nixon's wife Pat campaigned with him.[15]
Two weeks after the Republican primary, Shell endorsed Nixon's candidacy.[5] Shell had conditioned an endorsement of Nixon on Nixon agreeing to make $200 million in cuts to the state budget and giving conservatives a share of the California delegates to the 1964 Republican National Convention.[3]
Harold J. Powers, who had dropped out of the Republican primary, endorsed Brown in the general election.[3]
Earl Warren, a Republican serving as Chief Justice of the United States and former governor of California, had long had a political feud with Nixon, despite Nixon and Warren being from the same state and the same party. Warren posed for photos with Brown, and told the press what a great job Brown was doing. Warren also had his son, Earl Jr., stump across the state for Brown and against Nixon.[16]
Nixon had a lead in the polls early on, but Brown lessened the margin as time went on, and pre-election polls showed Brown winning.[3]
Results
Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Democratic | Pat Brown (incumbent) | 3,037,109 | 51.89 | |
Republican | Richard Nixon | 2,740,351 | 46.82 | |
Prohibition | Robert L. Wyckoff | 69,700 | 1.19 | |
Independent Republican
|
Joseph C. Shell (write-in) | 3,166 | 0.05 | |
Socialist Labor
|
Herbert Steiner (write-in) | 448 | 0.01 | |
Independent
|
R. C. Irvine (write-in) | 159 | 0.00 | |
Scattering | 2,299 | 0.04 | ||
Total votes | 5,853,232 | 100.00 | ||
Turnout | {{{votes}}} | 57.50 | ||
Democratic hold |
Results by county
Brown is the last Democratic gubernatorial nominee to have won Colusa and Modoc Counties.
County | Brown | Votes | Nixon | Votes | Wyckoff | Votes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Plumas | 66.44% | 3,397 | 31.76% | 1,624 | 1.80% | 92 |
Trinity | 64.58% | 2,201 | 33.69% | 1,148 | 1.73% | 59 |
Solano | 64.31% | 25,987 | 34.37% | 13,888 | 1.32% | 532 |
Shasta | 63.97% | 14,753 | 34.07% | 7,858 | 1.96% | 453 |
Lassen | 62.50% | 3,500 | 35.14% | 1,968 | 2.36% | 132 |
San Francisco
|
62.19% | 180,298 | 36.96% | 107,165 | 0.85% | 2,455 |
Sacramento | 60.69% | 115,462 | 37.74% | 71,788 | 1.57% | 2,988 |
Yolo | 60.67% | 13,334 | 37.82% | 8,311 | 1.51% | 332 |
Madera | 60.46% | 7,728 | 38.36% | 4,903 | 1.19% | 152 |
Placer | 59.98% | 13,592 | 38.29% | 8,677 | 1.72% | 390 |
Siskiyou | 59.98% | 7,718 | 38.41% | 4,942 | 1.62% | 208 |
Kings | 59.03% | 9,141 | 39.48% | 6,113 | 1.49% | 231 |
Amador | 58.16% | 2,811 | 40.16% | 1,941 | 1.68% | 81 |
Alameda | 57.98% | 206,861 | 40.88% | 145,851 | 1.13% | 4,038 |
Sierra | 57.98% | 676 | 39.54% | 461 | 2.49% | 29 |
Fresno | 57.78% | 68,187 | 40.85% | 48,211 | 1.37% | 1,615 |
Merced | 57.62% | 14,105 | 41.14% | 10,071 | 1.23% | 302 |
El Dorado | 56.25% | 6,572 | 41.44% | 4,842 | 2.30% | 269 |
Contra Costa | 55.49% | 91,150 | 43.34% | 71,192 | 1.18% | 1,935 |
Yuba | 53.77% | 5,028 | 44.74% | 4,184 | 1.49% | 139 |
Stanislaus | 53.64% | 30,431 | 44.80% | 25,417 | 1.57% | 888 |
Napa | 53.50% | 14,748 | 44.72% | 12,326 | 1.78% | 490 |
Ventura | 53.46% | 37,777 | 45.15% | 31,899 | 1.39% | 982 |
San Luis Obispo | 52.86% | 16,110 | 45.36% | 13,825 | 1.78% | 543 |
Tuolumne | 52.48% | 3,631 | 46.06% | 3,187 | 1.46% | 101 |
Humboldt | 52.19% | 17,739 | 46.22% | 15,708 | 1.59% | 540 |
Kern | 52.10% | 48,737 | 46.33% | 43,342 | 1.57% | 1,471 |
Colusa | 52.06% | 2,320 | 46.14% | 2,056 | 1.80% | 80 |
Del Norte | 51.97% | 2,741 | 45.85% | 2,418 | 2.18% | 115 |
San Mateo | 51.88% | 90,464 | 47.09% | 82,115 | 1.03% | 1,797 |
Los Angeles | 51.83% | 1,191,724 | 46.98% | 1,080,113 | 1.19% | 27,445 |
Modoc | 51.73% | 1,641 | 46.44% | 1,473 | 1.83% | 58 |
San Bernardino | 51.68% | 88,437 | 46.78% | 80,054 | 1.54% | 2,634 |
Mendocino | 51.50% | 8,704 | 46.96% | 7,936 | 1.54% | 261 |
Tehama | 51.36% | 5,077 | 46.44% | 4,591 | 2.21% | 218 |
Santa Clara | 51.20% | 121,149 | 47.63% | 112,700 | 1.18% | 2,783 |
Nevada | 51.02% | 4,818 | 47.12% | 4,450 | 1.85% | 175 |
San Joaquin | 49.40% | 43,276 | 49.25% | 43,147 | 1.34% | 1,178 |
Sonoma | 49.19% | 29,373 | 49.65% | 29,647 | 1.17% | 696 |
Tulare | 49.08% | 24,598 | 49.71% | 24,914 | 1.21% | 608 |
Glenn | 48.70% | 3,299 | 49.50% | 3,353 | 1.80% | 122 |
San Benito | 48.30% | 2,527 | 50.46% | 2,640 | 1.24% | 65 |
Butte | 47.74% | 16,142 | 50.79% | 17,172 | 1.47% | 497 |
Mariposa | 47.50% | 1,272 | 50.37% | 1,349 | 2.13% | 57 |
Santa Barbara | 47.50% | 30,424 | 51.24% | 32,821 | 1.26% | 807 |
Inyo | 47.00% | 2,526 | 50.99% | 2,740 | 2.01% | 108 |
Riverside | 46.60% | 50,257 | 51.86% | 55,926 | 1.54% | 1,666 |
Monterey | 46.52% | 24,801 | 52.52% | 28,000 | 0.96% | 512 |
Calaveras | 46.37% | 2,379 | 51.75% | 2,655 | 1.87% | 96 |
Marin | 45.38% | 27,664 | 53.67% | 32,720 | 0.95% | 582 |
Santa Cruz | 44.93% | 17,354 | 53.28% | 20,580 | 1.79% | 690 |
Lake | 44.42% | 3,315 | 54.15% | 4,041 | 1.43% | 107 |
Imperial | 44.14% | 8,241 | 55.01% | 10,271 | 0.85% | 158 |
San Diego | 42.40% | 153,389 | 55.83% | 201,969 | 1.77% | 6,416 |
Sutter | 41.19% | 4,816 | 57.59% | 6,734 | 1.21% | 142 |
Orange | 39.16% | 112,152 | 59.35% | 169,962 | 1.49% | 4,263 |
Mono | 36.12% | 488 | 62.18% | 840 | 1.70% | 23 |
Alpine | 34.72% | 67 | 63.21% | 122 | 2.07% | 4 |
Aftermath
This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (February 2024) |
Brown not only won, but he won by a surprising[
Brown was the first Democratic Party governor reelected in California since
Brown served out his second term, but failed to win a third term in 1966, losing reelection to future president Ronald Reagan.[24]
Nixon later re-entered politics when he ran for president again in 1968; he won that election, and was later re-elected, but he resigned in disgrace in 1974 due to the Watergate scandal.[23]
References
- ISBN 978-0-684-83246-3.
- ISBN 978-0-495-57097-4.
- ^ JSTOR 444953. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ ISBN 978-0-19-515377-4.
- ^ a b Hill, Gladwin (June 20, 1962). "Shell Backs Nixon as G.O.P. Nominee; Shell Cites Campaign View Called 'Poor Loser'". The New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2023.
- ^ a b c d "31 Seek State Post Tuesday In Primaries". San Bernardino Sun-Telegram. June 3, 1962. p. 17. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c CA Primary 1962, pp. 6–7.
- ^ a b c Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 101.
- ^ a b c America Votes 5, p. 53.
- ^ "CA US Governor, 1962 - D Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ a b Lait, Matt (March 22, 1992). "Looking Back at the 1962 Gubernatorial Race : Debate: Edmund G. (Pat) Brown and ex-President's former campaign manager discuss the election at Richard Nixon Library & Birthplace". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- ^ a b Perlstein, Rick (2002). Before the Storm: Barry Goldwater and the Unmaking of the American Consensus.
- ^ "CA Governor, 1962 - R Primary". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "Robert L. Wyckoff". Prohibition Party. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ "A Beginner's Guide to First Lady Pat Nixon". Richard Nixon Foundation. April 16, 2020. Retrieved February 16, 2024.
- ^ Farrell, John A. (March 21, 2017). "The Inside Story of Richard Nixon's Ugly, 30-Year Feud with Earl Warren". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved February 10, 2024.
- ^ CA General 1962, p. 4.
- ^ Congressional Quarterly 1998, p. 43.
- ^ America Votes 5, p. 44.
- ^ "CA Governor, 1962". Our Campaigns. Retrieved July 12, 2023.
- ^ a b c Schwartz, Jason (October 14, 2017). "55 Years Ago — "The Last Press Conference"". Richard Nixon Foundation. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ a b c "'I Don't See How He Can ever Recover'". Miller Center. September 12, 2019. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
- ^ a b Glass, Andrew (January 9, 2019). "Richard Nixon born in Yorba Linda, Calif., Jan. 9, 1913". Politico. Retrieved February 15, 2024.
- ^ Glass, Andrew (June 7, 2017). "California Republicans nominate Reagan for governor, June 7, 1966". Politico. Retrieved February 14, 2024.
Further reading
- Ambrose, Stephen E. Nixon Volume II: The Triumph of a Politician 1962-1972 (1989).
- Anderson, Totton J., and Eugene C. Lee. “The 1962 Election in California.” Western Political Quarterly, 16#2 (1963), pp. 396–420. online
- Anderson, Totton J. "Extremism in California Politics: The Brown-Knowland and Brown-Nixon Campaigns Compared." Political Research Quarterly 16.2 (1963): 371.
- Pawel, Miriam. (2018). The Browns of California : the family dynasty that transformed a state and shaped a nation. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing.
- Rapoport, R. California Dreaming: The Political Odyssey of Pat & Jerry Brown. Berkeley: Nolo Press (1982) ISBN 0-917316-48-7.
- Rarick, Ethan (2006), California Rising: The Life and Times of Pat Brown, Berkeley: ISBN 9780520939844 summary
- Rarick, Ethan. "The Brown Dynasty." in Modern American Political Dynasties: A Study of Power, Family, and Political Influence ed by Kathleen Gronnerud and Scott J. Spitzer. (2018): 211-30.
- Rice, Richard B. (2012). The Elusive Eden: A New History of California. New York: McGraw-Hill. ISBN 978-0-07-338556-3.
- Rogin, Michael Paul, John L. Shover. Political Change in California: Critical Elections and Social Movements, 1890-1966 (Greenwood, 1970).
- Schuparra, Kurt. Triumph of the Right: The Rise of the California Conservative Movement, 1945-1966 (M.E. Sharpe, 1998).
Statistics
- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State (1940). State of California. Statement of Vote. Consolidated Direct Primary Election and Special Statewide Election June 5, 1962.
- Compiled by Frank M. Jordan, Secretary of State (1962). Statement of Vote for November 6, 1962 General Election.
- Gubernatorial Elections, 1787-1997. Washington, D.C.: Congressional Quarterly Inc. 1998. ISBN 1-56802-396-0.
- Scammon, Richard M., ed. (1964). America Votes 5: a handbook of contemporary American election statistics, 1962. Washington, D.C.: Governmental Affairs Institute.