| Elections in California |
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The 1980 United States Senate election in California took place on November 4, 1980. Incumbent Democrat U.S. Senator Alan Cranston easily won re-election to a third term, even as the state's former Republican governor, Ronald Reagan, won a landslide victory in the concurrent presidential election, and a target of the National Conservative Political Action Committee.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on June 3, 1980.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Alan Cranston, incumbent United States Senator
- Richard Morgan
- David Rees
- Frank L. Thomas
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Cranston (incumbent) | 2,608,746 | 79.91% | |
| Democratic | Richard Morgan | 350,394 | 10.73% | |
| Democratic | Frank L. Thomas | 195,351 | 5.98% | |
| Democratic | David Rees | 110,125 | 3.37% | |
| Independent | Write-ins | 26 | 0.00% | |
| Total votes | 3,264,642 | 100.00 | ||
Republican primary
Candidates
- Paul Gann, political activist
- Rayburn Hanzlik, former Nixon and Ford staffer
- Brian Hyndman
- John G. Schmitz, State Senator and American Independent Party candidate for President in 1972
- Philip Schwartz
- Sam Yorty, former Mayor of Los Angeles, and Democratic nominee in 1954
- James A. Ware, nominee for Controller in 1978
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | Paul Gann | 934,433 | 40.00% | |
| Republican | Sam Yorty | 668,583 | 28.62% | |
| Republican | John G. Schmitz | 442,839 | 18.96% | |
| Republican | James A. Ware | 95,155 | 4.07% | |
| Republican | Rayburn Hanzlik | 76,268 | 3.27% | |
| Republican | Philip Schwartz | 68,790 | 2.95% | |
| Republican | Brian Hyndman | 50,122 | 2.15% | |
| Total votes | 2,336,190 | 100.00 | ||
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alan Cranston (incumbent) | 4,705,399 | 56.51% | ||
| Republican | Paul Gann | 3,093,426 | 37.15% | ||
| Libertarian | David Bergland | 202,481 | 2.43% | ||
| Peace and Freedom | David Wald | 196,354 | 2.36% | ||
| American Independent | James C. Griffin | 129,648 | 1.56% | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
See also
References
- ^ a b Guide to U.S. elections - CQ Press, Congressional Quarterly, inc. CQ Press. 2005. ISBN 9781568029818. Retrieved November 20, 2018.
- ^ "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate Race - Nov 04, 1980".