The 2014 California gubernatorial election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the

governor of California The governor of California is the head of government of the U.S. state of California. The Governor (United States), governor is the commander-in-chief of the California National Guard and the California State Guard. Established in the Constit ...

, concurrently with

elections An election is a formal group decision-making process whereby a population chooses an individual or multiple individuals to hold public office. Elections have been the usual mechanism by which modern representative democracy has operated ...

for the rest of California's executive branch, as well as elections to the

United States Senate The United States Senate is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the upper house, with the United States House of Representatives, U.S. House of Representatives being the lower house. Together, the Senate and ...

in other states and elections to the

United States House of Representatives The United States House of Representatives is a chamber of the Bicameralism, bicameral United States Congress; it is the lower house, with the U.S. Senate being the upper house. Together, the House and Senate have the authority under Artic ...

and various state and local elections. Incumbent Democratic governor

Jerry Brown Edmund Gerald Brown Jr. (born April 7, 1938) is an American lawyer, author, and politician who served as the 34th and 39th governor of California from 1975 to 1983 and 2011 to 2019. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic P ...

ran for re-election to a second consecutive and fourth overall term in office. Although governors are limited to lifetime service of two terms in office, Brown previously served as governor from 1975 to 1983, and the law only affects terms served after November 6, 1990. A primary election was held on June 3, 2014. Under California's

nonpartisan blanket primary A nonpartisan primary, top-two primary, or jungle primary is a primary election in which all candidates for the same elected office run against each other at once, regardless of political party. This distinguishes them from partisan primaries, w ...

law, all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party. In the primary, voters may vote for any candidate, regardless of their party affiliation. The top two finishers — regardless of party — advance to the general election in November, even if a candidate manages to receive a majority of the votes cast in the primary election. Washington is the only other state with this system, a so-called "top two primary" (

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

has a similar "jungle primary"). Brown and Republican Neel Kashkari finished first and second, respectively, and contested in the general election, which Brown won. He won the largest gubernatorial victory since 1986, "despite running a virtually nonexistent campaign." This was the first time since

1978 Events January * January 1 – Air India Flight 855, a Boeing 747 passenger jet, crashes off the coast of Bombay, killing 213. * January 5 – Bülent Ecevit, of Republican People's Party, CHP, forms the new government of Turkey (42nd ...

that a Democrat carried Nevada County.

Primary election

A certified list of candidates was released by the secretary of state on March 27, 2014. The primary election took place on Tuesday, June 3, 2014, from 7am to 8pm.

Party candidacies

Democratic Party

=Declared

= * Akinyemi Agbede, candidate for

Mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

Orange County, Florida Orange County is a county located in the central part of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the county had a population of 1,429,908, making it the fifth-most populous county in Florida and the List of ...

in 2010 *

, incumbent governor of California

=Withdrew

= * Geby Espinosa, gym owner * Hanala Sagal, author and fitness personality * Michael Strimling, attorney

=Declined

= *

Kamala Harris Kamala Devi Harris ( ; born October 20, 1964) is an American politician and attorney who served as the 49th vice president of the United States from 2021 to 2025 under President Joe Biden. She is the first female, first African American, and ...

, Attorney General of California (ran for re-election) *

Gavin Newsom Gavin Christopher Newsom ( ; born October 10, 1967) is an American politician and businessman serving since 2019 as the 40th governor of California. A member of the Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party, he served from 2011 to 201 ...

Lieutenant Governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest Executive (government), executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-yea ...

(ran for re-election) * Hilda Solis, former United States Secretary of Labor and former U.S. representative (ran for

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors (LACBOS) is the five-member Board of Supervisors, governing body of Los Angeles County, California, United States. History On April 1, 1850 the citizens of Los Angeles elected a three-man Court of Se ...

) * Antonio Villaraigosa, former

Mayor of Los Angeles The mayor of Los Angeles is the head of the executive branch of the government of Los Angeles and the chief executive of Los Angeles. The office is officially Non-partisan democracy, nonpartisan, a change made in the 1909 charter; previously, ...

Republican Party

=Declared

= * Richard Aguirre, real estate investor and Democratic candidate for governor in 2010 * Glenn Champ, businessman and engineer * Tim Donnelly, state assemblyman and Minuteman founder * Neel Kashkari, former acting assistant secretary of the Treasury for financial stability * Alma Marie Winston

=Withdrew

= * Andrew Blount, Mayor of Laguna Hills * Dennis Jackson, manufacturer * Abel Maldonado, former

lieutenant governor of California The lieutenant governor of California is the second highest Executive (government), executive officer of the government of the U.S. state of California. The Lieutenant governor (United States), lieutenant governor is elected to serve a four-yea ...

, candidate for controller in

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

, and candidate for CA-24 in

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

=Declined

= *

Kevin McCarthy Kevin Owen McCarthy (born January 26, 1965) is an American politician who served as the List of speakers of the United States House of Representatives, 55th speaker of the United States House of Representatives from January until he was Remova ...

, U.S. representative and House Majority Whip * John Moorlach, Orange County Supervisor * Steve Poizner, former Insurance Commissioner of California and candidate for governor in

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

* George Radanovich, former U.S. representative * Meg Whitman, CEO of

Hewlett-Packard The Hewlett-Packard Company, commonly shortened to Hewlett-Packard ( ) or HP, was an American multinational information technology company. It was founded by Bill Hewlett and David Packard in 1939 in a one-car garage in Palo Alto, California ...

, former CEO of

eBay eBay Inc. ( , often stylized as ebay) is an American multinational e-commerce company based in San Jose, California, that allows users to buy or view items via retail sales through online marketplaces and websites in 190 markets worldwide. ...

and nominee for governor in

Libertarian Party

=Declined

= * James P. Gray, former Orange County

Superior Court In common law systems, a superior court is a court of general jurisdiction over civil and criminal legal cases. A superior court is "superior" in relation to a court with limited jurisdiction (see small claims court), which is restricted to civil ...

Judge and Libertarian Party nominee for

Vice President of the United States The vice president of the United States (VPOTUS) is the second-highest ranking office in the Executive branch of the United States government, executive branch of the U.S. federal government, after the president of the United States, and ranks f ...

Green Party

=Declared

= * Luis J. Rodriguez, author, progressive activist and Justice Party nominee for

American Independent Party

Endorsed Tim Donnelly

=Withdrew

= * Robert Ornelas, American Independent Party nominee for

Peace and Freedom Party

=Declared

= * Cindy Sheehan, anti-war activist and

Peace and Freedom Party The Peace and Freedom Party (PFP) is a socialist political party in the United States which operates mostly in California. It was formed in 1966 from anti–Vietnam War and pro–civil rights movements. PFP operates both as an organization unt ...

nominee for

Independent

=Declared

= * Bogdan Ambrozewicz, small business owner, Independent candidate for the State Senate in 2012 and Republican candidate for the State Assembly in 2011 * Janel Buycks, minister/business owner * Rakesh Kumar Christian, small business owner, independent candidate for governor in 2010 * Joe Leicht, golf course operator * Robert Newman, psychologist, farmer and Republican candidate for governor in

2003 2003 was designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Fresh water, Freshwater. In 2003, a Multi-National Force – Iraq, United States-led coalition 2003 invasion of Iraq, invaded Iraq, starting the Iraq War. Demographic ...

, and

Polling

Results

General election

Debates

Complete video of debate
September 4, 2014 -

C-SPAN Cable-Satellite Public Affairs Network (C-SPAN ) is an American Cable television in the United States, cable and Satellite television in the United States, satellite television network, created in 1979 by the cable television industry as a Non ...

Predictions

Polling

Results

Brown won easily, by nearly twenty points. He outperformed his majority margin from 2010. As expected, Brown did very well in

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

and in the

San Francisco Bay Area The San Francisco Bay Area, commonly known as the Bay Area, is a List of regions of California, region of California surrounding and including San Francisco Bay, and anchored by the cities of Oakland, San Francisco, and San Jose, California, S ...

. Kashkari conceded defeat right after the polls closed in California.

By county

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican * Del Norte (largest community: Crescent City) Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic * Merced (largest community: Merced) * Mono (largest municipality: Mammoth Lakes) *

Nevada Nevada ( ; ) is a landlocked state in the Western United States. It borders Oregon to the northwest, Idaho to the northeast, California to the west, Arizona to the southeast, and Utah to the east. Nevada is the seventh-most extensive, th ...

(largest town: Truckee) *

San Luis Obispo ; ; ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''tiłhini'') is a city and county seat of San Luis Obispo County, California, United States. Located on the Central Coast (California), Central Coast of California, San Luis Obispo is roughly halfway betwee ...

(largest town:

) *

San Diego San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

(largest community:

) * Stanislaus (largest community: Modesto) * Ventura (largest city: Ventura)

By congressional district

Brown won 41 of 53 congressional districts, including two held by Republicans.

By city

Cities & Unincorporated Areas that flipped from Republican to Democratic * Clayton ( Contra Costa) * Danville ( Contra Costa) * Placerville ( El Dorado) * Ferndale ( Humboldt) *

Agoura Hills Agoura Hills () is a city situated in the Santa Monica Mountains region of Los Angeles County, California, United States. With a population of 20,330 as of the 2010 United States census, 2010 census, which decreased to 20,299 in 2020. Agoura H ...

(

) * Arcadia (

) * Diamond Bar (

) * Manhattan Beach (

) * Vernon (

) * Unincorporated Area of

* Buena Park ( Orange) * Garden Grove ( Orange) * Irvine ( Orange) * Laguna Woods ( Orange) *

Westminster Westminster is the main settlement of the City of Westminster in Central London, Central London, England. It extends from the River Thames to Oxford Street and has many famous landmarks, including the Palace of Westminster, Buckingham Palace, ...

( Orange) * Auburn ( Placer) *

Rancho Mirage Rancho Mirage is a city in Riverside County, California, United States. The city is a low-density desert community with resorts, golf courses, and country clubs within the Colorado Desert section of the Sonoran Desert. Nestled along the foothills ...

( Riverside) * Citrus Heights (

Sacramento Sacramento ( or ; ; ) is the capital city of the U.S. state of California and the seat of Sacramento County. Located at the confluence of the Sacramento and American Rivers in Northern California's Sacramento Valley, Sacramento's 2020 p ...

) * Folsom (

) * Unincorporated Area of San Benito * Del Mar (

) * Solana Beach (

) * Arroyo Grande (

) * Pismo Beach (

) * Unincorporated Area of

* Hillsborough ( San Mateo) * Woodside ( San Mateo) * Lompoc ( Santa Barbara) * Santa Maria ( Santa Barbara) * Unincorporated Area of Santa Barbara * Los Altos Hills ( Santa Clara) * Monte Sereno ( Santa Clara) * Saratoga ( Santa Clara) * Modesto ( Stanislaus) * Turlock ( Stanislaus) * Unincorporated Area of Ventura Cities & Unincorporated Areas that flipped from Tie to Democratic * Amador ( Amador) Cities & Unincorporated Areas that flipped from Democratic to Republican * Sutter Creek ( Amador) * Unincorporated Area of Del Norte * Coalinga ( Fresno) * Susanville ( Lassen) * Eastvale ( Riverside) * Galt (

) * Barstow ( San Bernardino) *

Highland Highlands or uplands are areas of high elevation such as a mountainous region, elevated mountainous plateau or high hills. Generally, ''upland'' refers to a range of hills, typically from up to , while ''highland'' is usually reserved for range ...

( San Bernardino) * Needles ( San Bernardino) * Victorville ( San Bernardino) * Porterville ( Tulare)

Notes

References

External links

California gubernatorial election, 2014
at

Ballotpedia Ballotpedia is a nonprofit and nonpartisan online political encyclopedia that covers federal, state, and local politics, elections, and public policy in the United States. The website was founded in 2007. Ballotpedia is sponsored by the Lucy Bur ...

{{Jerry Brown

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Gubernatorial