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2006 California gubernatorial election

← 2003 (recall) November 7, 2006 2010 →
Turnout	32.77% 28.43pp
Nominee Arnold Schwarzenegger Phil Angelides Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 4,850,157 3,376,732 Percentage 55.88% 38.91%
County results Congressional district resultsSchwarzenegger:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Angelides:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Governor before election Arnold Schwarzenegger Republican Elected Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger Republican

Elections in California
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San Francisco Mayor 1901 1903 1905 1907 1909 1911 1931 1935 1939 1943 1947 1951 1955 1959 1963 1967 1971 1975 1979 1983 (recall) 1983 1987 1991 1995 1999 2003 2007 2011 2015 2018 (sp) 2019 2024 District attorney 2019 2022 (recall) 2022 (sp) 2024 Board of supervisors 1977 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 2010 2012 2014 2016 2018 2020 2022 2024 Board of education 2018 2022 (recall) Ballot measures 2024 G Elections 2004 Mar Nov 2005 2006 Jun Nov 2007 2008 Feb Jun Nov 2009 2010 Jun Nov 2011 2012 Jun Nov 2013 2022 Feb
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Other localities Bakersfield Mayoral elections: 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Fresno Mayoral elections: 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024 Oakland Mayoral elections: 1994 1998 2002 2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2024 Riverside Mayoral elections: 1997 2001 2005 2009 2012 2016 2020 2024 San Bernardino Mayoral elections: 2005 2009 2014 2018 2022 Stockton Mayoral elections: 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024
v t e

The 2006 California gubernatorial election occurred on November 7, 2006. The primary elections took place on June 6, 2006. The incumbent Republican Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, won re-election for his first and only full term. His main opponent was California State Treasurer Phil Angelides, the California Democratic Party nominee. Peter Camejo was the California Green Party nominee, Janice Jordan was the Peace and Freedom Party nominee, Art Olivier was the California Libertarian Party nominee, and Edward C. Noonan was the California American Independent Party nominee.

Under the state constitution, the Governor serves a four-year term, with a maximum or minimum term limit of two four-year terms for life, regardless of whether or not they are consecutive or nonconsecutive. Arnold Schwarzenegger was elected in a 2003 recall election and served out the remainder of predecessor Gray Davis's term ending in 2007; Schwarzenegger was therefore eligible to serve until 2011. As of 2024, this along with the concurrent Insurance Commissioner election was the last time Republicans won a statewide election in California and marked the last time a Republican was officially elected California Governor as well as the last election in which a California governor and lieutenant governor of opposite political parties were elected.

Exit polls showed Schwarzenegger won the vote of White (63%–32%) and Asian Americans (62%–37%), while Angelides won among African Americans (70%–27%) and Latinos (56%–39%).

Primary election

Bar graph of statewide results

Results by county

The period for candidate nominations closed on March 24, 2006.

Democratic

Candidates

• Phil Angelides – California State Treasurer; former State Democratic Chair and developer
• Barbara Becnel – Executive Director of Neighborhood House of North Richmond; founder of Save Stanley Tookie Williams campaign
• Joe Brouilette – high school teacher
• Edie Bukewihge – writer and publisher
• Jerald Gerst – physician
• Vibert Greene – engineer
• Frank Macaluso – medical doctor
• Michael Strimling – attorney
• Steve Westly – California State Controller; former Internet executive

The two front-runners for the Democratic nomination were Angelides and California State Controller Steve Westly. A pre-election poll had Westly leading Angelides by six percentage points. The Field Poll conducted on April 17, 2006, showed that both Democratic candidates had low recognition factors amongst the state's electorate, with only 45% having any opinion on Angelides and 40% for Westly. Of registered Democrats surveyed, 59% said they didn't know enough about Angelides to have any opinion about him, with 58% saying the same for Westly. The Los Angeles Times reported that the race for the Democratic nomination was a virtual tie, with Angelides leading Westly by three percentage points (37%–34%), within the 3% margin of error. Unusually, 28% of Democratic voters were undecided, and both candidates tried to earn the undecided vote.

Angelides reported a recent increase in support for his campaign and gained union support as well as support from the "core" liberal constituency. The California Democratic Party endorsed him prior to the primary, despite most polls showing that Westly would fare much better against Schwarzenegger in the general election. However, many registered Democrats believed that Westly had a greater chance of winning against incumbent governor Schwarzenegger and felt that he had a slightly "more positive" image. In the end, Angelides won 47.9% of the vote to Westly's 43.4%. The turnout for the primary, was a record low 33.6%, far below the 38% predicted by the Secretary of State, with the turnout of valid ballots cast on election day at 28%.

Polling

Results

Republican

Candidates

• Jeffrey Burns – general contractor
• Bill Chambers – railroad switchman
• Robert C. Newman II – psychologist and farmer
• Arnold Schwarzenegger – incumbent Governor of California

Republican Schwarzenegger faced token opposition and won overwhelmingly in the primary held on June 6, 2006.

Results

Minor parties

Green

American Independent

Libertarian

Peace and Freedom

General election

Candidates

• Phil Angelides (Democratic) – California State Treasurer, Ex-State Democratic Chair & Developer
• Peter Camejo (Green) – 2002/2003 Green Party gubernatorial candidate, 2004 independent vice presidential candidate (Ralph Nader's running mate)
• Janice Jordan (Peace and Freedom) – 2004 Peace and Freedom Party vice presidential candidate (Leonard Peltier's running mate)
• Edward C. Noonan (American Independent) – computer shop owner
• Art Olivier (Libertarian) – former mayor of Bellflower, 2000 Libertarian Party vice presidential candidate (Harry Browne's running mate)
• Arnold Schwarzenegger (Republican) – incumbent Governor of California, actor, businessman

Campaign

Schwarzenegger's decision to call the 2005 special election, as well as his propositions dealing with teachers' and nurses' unions and other political missteps, brought his approval rating down to 39% by April 2006, though he ended up solidly defeating his opponents. During his first two years, he came under fire from some conservatives for supporting several taxes on Californians, and from some liberals for refusing to sign a bill allowing gay marriage, and his support for several controversial propositions in 2005. Later, Schwarzenegger's popularity with voters rebounded and he won reelection by a wide margin.

Predictions

Polling

Schwarzenegger v Westly

Results

Results by county

Results showed Schwarzenegger won 52 counties while Angelides won six; Schwarzenegger won an absolute majority in 48 counties and a plurality in four others, while Angelides won a majority in two counties and a plurality in four more. Schwarzenegger won large majorities in California's rural counties, the populous Southern California counties of San Diego, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, and Ventura, as well as populous Sacramento, Fresno, and Kern counties in the Central Valley. The results were closely contested in Los Angeles County and in Bay Area suburban counties. Angelides won substantially only in Alameda and San Francisco counties.

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Mendocino (largest municipality: Ukiah)
• Santa Clara (largest municipality: San Jose)
• Sonoma (largest municipality: Santa Rosa)

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Los Angeles (largest municipality: Los Angeles)

Results by congressional district

Schwarzenegger won 37 districts, including 13 held by Democrats, while Angelides won 16.

See also

• United States gubernatorial elections, 2006
• State of California
• Governors of California
• California Victory 2006, Republican field campaign

References

1. "Think it can't get any wilder?". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on June 19, 2008. Retrieved October 8, 2006.
2. "CA Secretary of State – Primary Election- Governor of California – Statewide". Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
3. "CA Secretary of State – Primary Election- Governor of California – Statewide". Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
4. "Special Survey on Education" (PDF). ppic.org. Public Policy Institute of California. April 2006. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 7, 2006.
5. "RLS2193 for PDF.PDF" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 20, 2010. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
6. Report, Progress (August 17, 2011). "Penny Wise Pound Foolish – Cuts in Free Flu Vaccines". Archived from the original on May 9, 2007.
7. "Angelides Pulls Even With Westly – Los Angeles Times". Los Angeles Times. May 28, 2006. Archived from the original on May 25, 2017. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
8. "CA Secretary of State – Primary Election- County Status". Primary2006.ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original on August 28, 2008. Retrieved August 14, 2010.
9. Demovic, Nghia Nguyen (June 2, 2006). "Secretary of State Bruce McPherson Predicts 38% Turnout for California Primary Election" (PDF). ss.ca.gov. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 28, 2006.
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12. Survey USA
13. ^ Field Poll
14. LA Times Poll
15. Survey USA
16. ^ Public Policy Institute of California
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18. LA Times Poll
19. Public Policy Institute of California
20. ^ Public Policy Institute of California
21. ^ California Secretary of State. Statement of Vote Gubernatorial Primary Election June 6, 2006 (PDF). Sacramento, California. pp. 1–6. Retrieved July 23, 2024.
22. "Schwarzenegger approval rating: 39 percent". ocregister.com. April 13, 2006. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved April 25, 2006.
23. Halper, Evan; Rau, Jordan (November 7, 2008). "Gov. pushes hike in sales tax, big cuts". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
24. "2006 Governor Race Ratings for November 6, 2006" (PDF). The Cook Political Report. Archived from the original (PDF) on June 5, 2008. Retrieved October 1, 2006.
25. "Election Eve 2006: THE FINAL PREDICTIONS". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
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29. ^ Zogby/WSJ
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32. Rasmussen
33. Public Policy Institute of California
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35. Rasmussen Archived 2006-08-03 at the Wayback Machine
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39. Survey & Policy Institute
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External links

Democratic candidates

• Phil Angelides
• Barbara Becnel
• Edie Bukewihge
• Steve Westly

Republican candidates

• Bill Chambers
• Robert C. Newman II
• Arnold Schwarzenegger

Third-party and Independent candidates

• Peter Camejo
• George Fellows
• Janice Jordan
• Edward Noonan
• Art Olivier

Other sites with relevant information

• VoteCircle.com Non-partisan resources & vote sharing network for Californians
• Information on the elections from California's Secretary of State
• Video of the debate
• Election Volunteer – Complete List of 2006 Gubernatorial candidates
• Official Homepage of the Governor of California
• 2007 Governor's Inaugural Committee