1992 United States Senate election in California

Democratic primary

Candidates

• Barbara Boxer, U.S. Representative from Greenbrae
• Charles Greene, perennial candidate
• Mel Levine, U.S. Representative from Santa Monica
• Leo T. McCarthy, Lieutenant Governor of California and nominee for Senate in 1988

Results

In the primary election in June, Boxer defeated McCarthy and Levine with 43.6% of the vote.

Republican primary

Candidates

• Sonny Bono, Mayor of Palm Springs and retired entertainer, best known as a member of the duo Sonny & Cher
• John M. Brown, resident of Stockton
• Tom Campbell, U.S. Congressman from Silicon Valley
• Bruce Herschensohn, political commentator for KABC-TV in Los Angeles and candidate for Senate in 1986
• Alexander Swift Justice, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1990
• John W. Spring, independent candidate for Senate in 1986
• Isaac Park Yonker, candidate for U.S. Representative in 1990 from Mariposa

Results

Peace and Freedom primary

Candidates

• Genevieve Torres
• Shirley Lee

Results

General election

Campaign

The general election between Boxer and Herschensohn was very close. At the eleventh hour, controversy emerged that the Republican nominee attended a strip club, which some Republican operatives later blamed for Herschensohn's loss.

Four days before Election Day polls showed Herschensohn had narrowed a double digit deficit, trailing by 3 points. Political operative Bob Mulholland disrupted a campaign appearance with a large poster advertising a strip club shouting "Should the voters of California elect someone who frequently travels the strip joints of Hollywood?" Herschensohn admitted he had visited a strip club once, with his girlfriend and another couple. With press coverage of the story, Herschensohn spent the waning days of the campaign denying related allegations. When the votes were cast and counted, Boxer won the election by five points. Although Republicans have blamed the defeat on the underhanded tactics of the Boxer campaign, evidence of the connection between Mulholland's outburst and the campaign never surfaced.

Results

The election was very close. Boxer was declared the winner by the Associated Press at 1:22 A.M. Pacific Coast Time.

By county

Final results from the Secretary of State of California.

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic

• Imperial
• Alpine
• Lake
• Napa

Counties that flipped from Democratic to Republican

• Lassen

|[[File:California counties shift 1986-1992 senate.svg|300px]]|Shift by county |[[File:California counties trend 1986-1992 senate.svg|300px]]|Trend by county | | | | | | | | | | | | | |}}}}}}

References

References

1. Reinhold, Robert. (1992-06-03). "THE 1992 CAMPAIGN: California; 2 Women Win Nomination In California Senate Races". The New York Times.
2. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - D Primary Race - Jun 02, 1992".
3. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 02, 1992".
4. "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - PFP Primary Race - Jun 02, 1992".
5. Murphy, Dean E.. (October 31, 1992). "U.S. Senate Candidates Crisscross State for Votes Politics: Herschensohn reacts angrily to accusation that he went to strip joint, frequented adult newsstand.". [[Los Angeles Times]].
6. Steinberg, Arnold. (November 17, 2000). "Beware the Trickster: Bob Mulholland oversees the recounting of the ballots in Florida". [[National Review]].
7. "Archived copy".