# 1986 California gubernatorial election

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vte :
The 1986 California gubernatorial election took place on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Republican George Deukmejian won easily in this rematch over the Democratic challenger, Los Angeles Mayor Tom Bradley. This was the largest gubernatorial victory since that of Earl Warren in 1946, who won 91.64% of the vote. To date, this was the most recent California gubernatorial election in which both major party candidates are now deceased.

## Primary election

Both major party candidates from 1982 were renominated with only token opposition.

### Republican Party

Republican primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Republican | George Deukmejian (incumbent) | 1,927,290 | 93.58% |
| | Republican | William H. R. Clark | 132,126 | 6.42% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,059,416 | 100.00% |

### Democratic Party

Democratic primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Democratic | Tom Bradley | 1,768,044 | 81.53% |
| | Democratic | Hugh G. Bagley | 141,218 | 6.51% |
| | Democratic | Charles Pineda Jr. | 109,001 | 5.03% |
| | Democratic | Eileen Anderson | 102,358 | 4.72% |
| | Democratic | Frank L. Thomas | 48,007 | 2.21% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 2,168,628 | 100.00% |

### American Independent Party

American Independent primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | American Independent | Gary V. Miller | 13,168 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 13,168 | 100.00% |

### Libertarian Party

Libertarian primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Libertarian | Joseph Fuhrig | 9,123 | 100.00% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 9,123 | 100.00% |

### Peace and Freedom Party

Peace and Freedom primary results :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % |
| | Peace and Freedom | Maria Elizabeth Muñoz | 3,508 | 69.78% |
| | Peace and Freedom | Cheryl Zuur | 1,519 | 30.22% |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 5,027 | 100.00% |

## General election results

1986 California gubernatorial election :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| | Republican | George Deukmejian (incumbent) | 4,506,601 | 60.54% | +11.27% |
| | Democratic | Tom Bradley | 2,781,714 | 37.37% | −10.72% |
| | Libertarian | Joseph Fuhrig | 52,628 | 0.71% | −0.32% |
| | Peace and Freedom | Maria Elizabeth Muñoz | 51,995 | 0.70% | −0.19% |
| | American Independent | Gary V. Miller | 50,547 | 0.68% | −0.04% |
| | | Scattering | 66 | 0.00% | |
| Majority | Majority | Majority | 1,724,887 | 23.17% | |
| Total votes | Total votes | Total votes | 7,443,551 | 100.00% | |
| | Republican hold | Republican hold | Swing | +21.99% | |

### Results by county

George Deukmejian carried all but two counties. As of 2024, this is most recent election in which a Republican gubernatorial candidate won Marin County, San Mateo County, and Santa Cruz County.
| County | George Deukmejian Republican | George Deukmejian Republican | Tom Bradley Democratic | Tom Bradley Democratic | Joseph Fuhrig Libertarian | Joseph Fuhrig Libertarian | Maria Elizabeth Muñoz Peace & Freedom | Maria Elizabeth Muñoz Peace & Freedom | Gary V. Miller American Independent | Gary V. Miller American Independent | Margin | Margin | Total votes cast |
| County | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total votes cast |
| Alameda | 174,555 | 47.79% | 181,445 | 49.68% | 3,164 | 0.87% | 3,783 | 1.04% | 2,280 | 0.62% | -6,890 | -1.89% | 365,227 |
| Alpine | 280 | 64.22% | 128 | 29.36% | 0 | 0.00% | 16 | 3.67% | 12 | 2.75% | 152 | 34.86% | 436 |
| Amador | 7,357 | 74.43% | 2,319 | 23.46% | 60 | 0.61% | 56 | 0.57% | 93 | 0.94% | 5,038 | 50.97% | 9,885 |
| Butte | 40,546 | 70.81% | 15,518 | 27.10% | 398 | 0.70% | 348 | 0.61% | 448 | 0.78% | 25,028 | 43.71% | 57,258 |
| Calaveras | 8,221 | 74.77% | 2,531 | 23.02% | 73 | 0.66% | 75 | 0.68% | 95 | 0.86% | 5,690 | 51.75% | 10,995 |
| Colusa | 3,729 | 79.49% | 882 | 18.80% | 16 | 0.34% | 24 | 0.51% | 40 | 0.85% | 2,847 | 60.69% | 4,691 |
| Contra Costa | 159,105 | 63.31% | 87,117 | 34.67% | 1,491 | 0.59% | 1,644 | 0.65% | 1,951 | 0.78% | 71,998 | 28.65% | 251,308 |
| Del Norte | 4,213 | 65.80% | 2,026 | 31.64% | 42 | 0.66% | 51 | 0.80% | 71 | 1.11% | 2,187 | 34.16% | 6,403 |
| El Dorado | 26,068 | 73.57% | 8,605 | 24.29% | 206 | 0.58% | 193 | 0.54% | 361 | 1.02% | 17,463 | 49.28% | 35,433 |
| Fresno | 96,959 | 66.28% | 47,071 | 32.17% | 546 | 0.37% | 927 | 0.63% | 795 | 0.54% | 49,888 | 34.10% | 146,298 |
| Glenn | 5,728 | 80.45% | 1,246 | 17.50% | 38 | 0.53% | 26 | 0.37% | 82 | 1.15% | 4,482 | 62.95% | 7,120 |
| Humboldt | 22,534 | 54.58% | 17,608 | 42.65% | 293 | 0.71% | 491 | 1.19% | 363 | 0.88% | 4,926 | 11.93% | 41,289 |
| Imperial | 11,479 | 61.19% | 6,915 | 36.86% | 38 | 0.20% | 214 | 1.14% | 113 | 0.60% | 4,564 | 24.33% | 18.759 |
| Inyo | 4,862 | 71.79% | 1,753 | 25.88% | 63 | 0.93% | 45 | 0.66% | 50 | 0.74% | 3,109 | 45.90% | 6,773 |
| Kern | 86,547 | 68.23% | 37,973 | 29.93% | 716 | 0.56% | 610 | 0.48% | 1,007 | 0.79% | 48,574 | 38.29% | 126,853 |
| Kings | 12,256 | 69.07% | 5,205 | 29.33% | 45 | 0.25% | 125 | 0.70% | 113 | 0.64% | 7,051 | 39.74% | 17,744 |
| Lake | 10,994 | 67.42% | 4,904 | 30.07% | 99 | 0.61% | 110 | 0.67% | 199 | 1.22% | 6,090 | 37.35% | 16,306 |
| Lassen | 5,154 | 68.96% | 2,067 | 27.66% | 45 | 0.60% | 61 | 0.82% | 147 | 1.97% | 3,087 | 41.30% | 7,474 |
| Los Angeles | 1,090,138 | 52.96% | 930,576 | 45.21% | 12,862 | 0.62% | 13,158 | 0.64% | 11,514 | 0.56% | 159,562 | 7.75% | 2,058,248 |
| Madera | 12,939 | 70.55% | 4,951 | 27.00% | 54 | 0.29% | 165 | 0.90% | 230 | 1.25% | 7,988 | 43.56% | 18,339 |
| Marin | 51,693 | 56.47% | 37,686 | 41.17% | 1,001 | 1.09% | 781 | 0.85% | 379 | 0.41% | 14,007 | 15.30% | 91,450 |
| Mariposa | 3,844 | 70.06% | 1,513 | 27.57% | 26 | 0.47% | 45 | 0.82% | 59 | 1.08% | 2,331 | 42.48% | 5,487 |
| Mendocino | 13,710 | 55.96% | 10,054 | 41.04% | 209 | 0.85% | 349 | 1.42% | 177 | 0.72% | 3,656 | 14.92% | 24,499 |
| Merced | 21,426 | 68.86% | 9,105 | 29.26% | 99 | 0.32% | 199 | 0.64% | 286 | 0.92% | 12,321 | 39.60% | 31,115 |
| Modoc | 2,641 | 74.69% | 810 | 22.91% | 25 | 0.71% | 20 | 0.57% | 40 | 1.13% | 1,831 | 51.78% | 3,536 |
| Mono | 1,847 | 70.66% | 722 | 27.62% | 15 | 0.57% | 15 | 0.57% | 15 | 0.57% | 1,125 | 43.04% | 2,614 |
| Monterey | 46,195 | 63.30% | 25,408 | 34.81% | 414 | 0.57% | 544 | 0.75% | 421 | 0.58% | 20,787 | 28.48% | 72,982 |
| Napa | 26,445 | 68.14% | 11,456 | 29.52% | 251 | 0.65% | 282 | 0.73% | 375 | 0.97% | 14,989 | 38.62% | 38,809 |
| Nevada | 20,599 | 73.12% | 6,928 | 24.59% | 228 | 0.81% | 182 | 0.65% | 234 | 0.83% | 13,671 | 48.53% | 28,171 |
| Orange | 468,092 | 71.89% | 172,782 | 26.54% | 3,445 | 0.53% | 2,821 | 0.43% | 3,956 | 0.61% | 295,310 | 45.36% | 651,096 |
| Placer | 37,288 | 73.31% | 12,542 | 24.66% | 372 | 0.73% | 280 | 0.55% | 382 | 0.75% | 24,746 | 48.65% | 50,864 |
| Plumas | 4,827 | 68.19% | 2,096 | 29.61% | 36 | 0.51% | 78 | 1.10% | 42 | 0.59% | 2,731 | 38.58% | 7,079 |
| Riverside | 155,318 | 65.10% | 78,891 | 33.06% | 947 | 0.40% | 1,092 | 0.46% | 2,350 | 0.98% | 76,427 | 32.03% | 238,598 |
| Sacramento | 207,086 | 68.05% | 91,660 | 30.12% | 1,592 | 0.52% | 1,974 | 0.65% | 2,014 | 0.66% | 115,426 | 37.93% | 304,326 |
| San Benito | 5,284 | 66.42% | 2,520 | 31.68% | 46 | 0.58% | 60 | 0.75% | 45 | 0.57% | 2,764 | 34.75% | 7,955 |
| San Bernardino | 166,483 | 63.76% | 89,584 | 34.31% | 1,206 | 0.46% | 1,336 | 0.51% | 2,490 | 0.95% | 76,899 | 29.45% | 261,099 |
| San Diego | 381,094 | 65.17% | 184,395 | 31.53% | 8,769 | 1.50% | 5,390 | 0.92% | 5,126 | 0.88% | 196,699 | 33.64% | 584,774 |
| San Francisco | 83,741 | 37.42% | 134,738 | 60.20% | 1,682 | 0.75% | 2,743 | 1.23% | 900 | 0.40% | -50,997 | -22.79% | 223,804 |
| San Joaquin | 76,297 | 71.32% | 28,817 | 26.94% | 452 | 0.42% | 623 | 0.58% | 793 | 0.74% | 47,480 | 44.38% | 106,982 |
| San Luis Obispo | 41,893 | 67.12% | 19,281 | 30.89% | 391 | 0.63% | 382 | 0.61% | 472 | 0.76% | 22,612 | 36.23% | 62,419 |
| San Mateo | 121,910 | 61.84% | 71,329 | 36.18% | 1,498 | 0.76% | 1,421 | 0.72% | 987 | 0.50% | 50,581 | 25.66% | 197,145 |
| Santa Barbara | 67,852 | 62.84% | 38,046 | 35.23% | 617 | 0.57% | 1,015 | 0.94% | 451 | 0.42% | 29,806 | 27.60% | 107,981 |
| Santa Clara | 227,285 | 59.87% | 142,907 | 37.64% | 3,894 | 1.03% | 2,920 | 0.77% | 2,650 | 0.70% | 84,378 | 22.22% | 379,656 |
| Santa Cruz | 37,525 | 50.54% | 34,831 | 46.91% | 615 | 0.83% | 839 | 1.13% | 434 | 0.58% | 2,694 | 3.63% | 74,244 |
| Shasta | 29,447 | 71.01% | 11,149 | 26.89% | 289 | 0.70% | 206 | 0.50% | 378 | 0.91% | 18,298 | 44.12% | 41,469 |
| Sierra | 1,053 | 66.98% | 474 | 30.15% | 7 | 0.45% | 13 | 0.83% | 25 | 1.59% | 579 | 36.83% | 1,572 |
| Siskiyou | 10,515 | 67.95% | 4,584 | 29.62% | 103 | 0.67% | 96 | 0.62% | 176 | 1.14% | 5,931 | 38.33% | 15,474 |
| Solano | 47,396 | 63.51% | 25,382 | 34.01% | 746 | 1.00% | 513 | 0.69% | 587 | 0.79% | 22,014 | 29.50% | 74,624 |
| Sonoma | 75,003 | 59.43% | 47,859 | 37.92% | 1,015 | 0.80% | 1,242 | 0.98% | 1,091 | 0.86% | 27,144 | 21.51% | 126,210 |
| Stanislaus | 53,505 | 71.05% | 20,481 | 27.20% | 342 | 0.45% | 417 | 0.55% | 556 | 0.74% | 33,024 | 43.86% | 75,301 |
| Sutter | 12,616 | 78.67% | 2,946 | 18.37% | 136 | 0.85% | 75 | 0.47% | 263 | 1.64% | 9,670 | 60.30% | 16,036 |
| Tehama | 10,463 | 71.10% | 3,932 | 26.72% | 83 | 0.56% | 75 | 0.51% | 163 | 1.11% | 6,531 | 44.38% | 14,716 |
| Trinity | 3,720 | 66.48% | 1,661 | 29.68% | 72 | 1.29% | 59 | 1.05% | 84 | 1.50% | 2,059 | 36.79% | 5,596 |
| Tulare | 44,335 | 71.72% | 16,287 | 26.35% | 344 | 0.56% | 334 | 0.54% | 519 | 0.84% | 28,048 | 45.37% | 61,819 |
| Tuolumne | 11,121 | 71.29% | 4,237 | 27.16% | 67 | 0.43% | 82 | 0.53% | 92 | 0.59% | 6,884 | 44.13% | 15,599 |
| Ventura | 118,640 | 67.20% | 54,893 | 31.09% | 966 | 0.55% | 960 | 0.54% | 1,098 | 0.62% | 63,747 | 36.11% | 176,557 |
| Yolo | 26,154 | 60.79% | 15,906 | 36.97% | 308 | 0.72% | 370 | 0.86% | 285 | 0.66% | 10,248 | 23.82% | 43,023 |
| Yuba | 8,594 | 72.37% | 2,982 | 25.11% | 71 | 0.60% | 40 | 0.34% | 188 | 1.58% | 5,612 | 47.26% | 11,875 |
| Total | 4,506,601 | 60.54% | 2,781,714 | 37.37% | 52,628 | 0.71% | 51,995 | 0.70% | 50,547 | 0.68% | 1,724,887 | 23.17% | 7,443,551 |

#### Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

* Humboldt
* Los Angeles
* Marin
* Mendocino
* Monterey
* San Benito
* San Mateo
* Santa Barbara
* Santa Clara
* Santa Cruz
* Sonoma
* Yolo