The largest state in the United States, California usually leans heavily towards the Democrats, having been won by the Democrats at every election since 1992. The state now has 53 members of the House of Representatives. Despite California’s liberal bent, it has not been uncommon for Republicans to win seats in the Senate, or be elected Governor.
Both of California’s Senate seats are currently held by Democrats. The seat up for election in 2010 has been held by Democrats continuously since 1968, when it was won by Alan Cranston. Cranston won re-election in 1974, 1980 and 1986.
In 1970, California’s other Senate seat was also won by the Democrats, with John Tunney defeating George Murphy. Tunney lost to S.I. Hayakawa (R) in 1976. Hayakawa retired in 1982 and was succeeded by fellow Republican Pete Wilson. Wilson won re-election in 1988. In 1990, he was elected Governor of California. He resigned as Senator in early 1991 days before being sworn in, and appointed State Senator John Seymour, also a Republican, to the seat.
In 1992, Californians voted in both a regular Senate election to elect a successor to the retiring Cranston, and in a special election to fill Wilson’s former seat for its final two years.
Cranston’s seat was won by US Representative Barbara Boxer, while Seymour lost the special election to former Mayor of San Francisco, Dianne Feinstein. Feinstein and Boxer were the first two women to win Senate seats in California.
Both Boxer and Feinstein have held their seats ever since. Boxer won easy re-election in 1998 and 2004, winning 53% and 57% respectively. Feinstein won a close race in 1994, winning 46% to 44% for the Republican candidate. She won a second full term in 2000 with 55% and a third term in 2006 with 59%.
Boxer is running for a fourth term in 2010. Boxer easily won the Democratic primary, with over 80% of the vote.
The Republican primary was comfortably won by Carly Fiorina, a former Chief Executive Officer of Hewlett Packard who had never previously stood for elected office. Originally she was in a close contest with former Congressman Tom Campbell and Assemblyman Chuck DeVore.
For most of the campaign, Boxer has had a solid lead in polls, but that begin to slip in July, with Fiorina winning a number of polls in August. Having said that, the race is extremely close, and it’s yet to be seen if Fiorina can maintain her position against such a successful figure.
