2014 California Secretary of State election
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November 4, 2014
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 County results Padilla: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% Peterson: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The 2014 California Secretary of State election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the secretary of state of California. Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Debra Bowen was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a third term in office.
A primary election was held on June 3, 2014. Under California's nonpartisan blanket primary 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 has a similar "jungle primary").
Democrat Alex Padilla and Republican Pete Peterson finished first and second, respectively, and contested the general election, which Padilla won by 7.2 percentage points. As a result, it was the closest statewide race in California that year. As of 2026, this election, alongside the concurrent state controller election, is also the last time in which a statewide California race between a Democrat and a Republican was decided by single digits; and in which Mono, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties voted for the Republican in a statewide race.
Primary election
[edit]Candidates
[edit]Democratic Party
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Derek Cressman, political reform and anti-dark money activist and former vice president of Common Cause[1]
- Jeffrey H. Drobman, computer scientist and engineer[2]
- Alex Padilla, state senator[3]
Withdrew
[edit]- Leland Yee, state senator[4]
Republican Party
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Roy Allmond, California state employee[2]
- Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University[5]
Green Party
[edit]Declared
[edit]Independent
[edit]Declared
[edit]- Daniel Schnur, former chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission and former Republican strategist[9]
Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Derek Cressman (D) |
David Curtis (G) |
Alex Padilla (D) |
Pete Peterson (R) |
Daniel Schnur (I) |
Leland Yee (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA[10] | May 16–19, 2014 | 610 | ±4% | — | — | 48% | 32% | — | — | 9% | 11% |
| Field Poll[11] | March 18–April 5, 2014 | 504 | ±4.5% | 3% | 5% | 17% | 30% | 4% | — | <0.5% | 41% |
| 2% | 4% | 10% | 27% | 4% | 8% | 1% | 44% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alex Padilla | 1,217,371 | 30.24 | |
| Republican | Pete Peterson | 1,194,715 | 29.68 | |
| Democratic | Leland Yee | 380,361 | 9.45 | |
| No party preference | Daniel Schnur | 369,898 | 9.19 | |
| Democratic | Derek Cressman | 306,375 | 7.61 | |
| Republican | Roy Allmond | 256,668 | 6.38 | |
| Democratic | Jeffrey H. Drobman | 178,521 | 4.44 | |
| Green | David S. Curtis | 121,618 | 3.02 | |
| Total votes | 4,025,527 | 100 | ||
| Turnout | 13.63 | |||
General election
[edit]Polling
[edit]| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Alex Padilla (D) |
Pete Peterson (R) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GQR/American Viewpoint[13] | October 22–29, 2014 | 1,162 | ± 3.3% | 45% | 41% | 14% |
| Field Poll[14] | October 15–28, 2014 | 941 | ± 3.4% | 44% | 37% | 19% |
| Field Poll[15] | August 14–28, 2014 | 467 | ± 4.8% | 43% | 36% | 21% |
| Gravis Marketing[16] | July 22–24, 2014 | 580 | ± 4% | 34% | 37% | 28% |
Results
[edit]| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Alex Padilla | 3,799,711 | 53.63 | ||
| Republican | Pete Peterson | 3,285,334 | 46.37 | ||
| Total votes | 7,085,045 | 100.00 | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
[edit]| County[18] | Alex Padilla Democratic |
Pete Peterson Republican |
Margin | Total votes cast | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | % | # | % | # | % | ||
| Alameda | 256,280 | 74.49% | 87,786 | 25.51% | 168,494 | 48.97% | 344,066 |
| Alpine | 262 | 57.84% | 191 | 42.16% | 71 | 15.67% | 453 |
| Amador | 4,708 | 37.74% | 7,768 | 62.26% | -3,060 | -24.53% | 12,476 |
| Butte | 25,238 | 42.03% | 34,803 | 57.97% | -9,565 | -15.93% | 60,041 |
| Calaveras | 5,664 | 37.35% | 9,500 | 62.65% | -3,836 | -25.30% | 15,164 |
| Colusa | 1,339 | 32.88% | 2,733 | 67.12% | -1,394 | -34.23% | 4,072 |
| Contra Costa | 144,610 | 58.88% | 101,006 | 41.12% | 43,604 | 17.75% | 245,616 |
| Del Norte | 2,911 | 43.35% | 3,804 | 56.65% | -893 | -13.30% | 6,715 |
| El Dorado | 21,760 | 36.56% | 37,759 | 63.44% | -15,999 | -26.88% | 59,519 |
| Fresno | 66,156 | 42.22% | 90,535 | 57.78% | -24,379 | -15.56% | 156,691 |
| Glenn | 1,597 | 27.36% | 4,241 | 72.64% | -2,644 | -45.29% | 5,838 |
| Humboldt | 21,882 | 60.67% | 14,183 | 39.33% | 7,699 | 21.35% | 36,065 |
| Imperial | 12,653 | 60.94% | 8,111 | 39.06% | 4,542 | 21.87% | 20,764 |
| Inyo | 2,106 | 39.58% | 3,215 | 60.42% | -1,109 | -20.84% | 5,321 |
| Kern | 47,008 | 35.55% | 85,225 | 64.45% | -38,217 | -28.90% | 132,233 |
| Kings | 7,784 | 35.39% | 14,212 | 64.61% | -6,428 | -29.22% | 21,996 |
| Lake | 9,358 | 54.90% | 7,686 | 45.10% | 1,672 | 9.81% | 17,044 |
| Lassen | 1,757 | 26.01% | 4,999 | 73.99% | -3,242 | -47.99% | 6,756 |
| Los Angeles | 880,939 | 62.50% | 528,630 | 37.50% | 352,309 | 24.99% | 1,409,569 |
| Madera | 9,033 | 34.27% | 17,328 | 65.73% | -8,295 | -31.47% | 26,361 |
| Marin | 58,358 | 70.27% | 24,685 | 29.73% | 33,673 | 40.55% | 83,043 |
| Mariposa | 2,319 | 36.16% | 4,095 | 63.84% | -1,776 | -27.69% | 6,414 |
| Mendocino | 15,404 | 65.55% | 8,095 | 34.45% | 7,309 | 31.10% | 23,499 |
| Merced | 16,475 | 45.91% | 19,408 | 54.09% | -2,933 | -8.17% | 35,883 |
| Modoc | 723 | 25.78% | 2,082 | 74.22% | -1,359 | -48.45% | 2,805 |
| Mono | 1,394 | 46.14% | 1,627 | 53.86% | -233 | -7.71% | 3,021 |
| Monterey | 42,793 | 59.59% | 29,014 | 40.41% | 13,779 | 19.19% | 71,807 |
| Napa | 21,336 | 58.60% | 15,074 | 41.40% | 6,262 | 17.20% | 36,410 |
| Nevada | 17,538 | 47.17% | 19,639 | 52.83% | -2,101 | -5.65% | 37,177 |
| Orange | 234,604 | 38.70% | 371,653 | 61.30% | -137,049 | -22.61% | 606,257 |
| Placer | 39,647 | 36.02% | 70,436 | 63.98% | -30,789 | -27.97% | 110,083 |
| Plumas | 2,501 | 36.05% | 4,436 | 63.95% | -1,935 | -27.89% | 6,937 |
| Riverside | 153,341 | 44.44% | 191,721 | 55.56% | -38,380 | -11.12% | 345,062 |
| Sacramento | 170,627 | 54.16% | 144,388 | 45.84% | 26,239 | 8.33% | 315,015 |
| San Benito | 7,327 | 55.43% | 5,892 | 44.57% | 1,435 | 10.86% | 13,219 |
| San Bernardino | 127,575 | 45.24% | 154,425 | 54.76% | -26,850 | -9.52% | 282,000 |
| San Diego | 301,060 | 45.99% | 353,503 | 54.01% | -52,443 | -8.01% | 654,563 |
| San Francisco | 162,575 | 78.50% | 44,537 | 21.50% | 118,038 | 56.99% | 207,112 |
| San Joaquin | 54,118 | 47.48% | 59,868 | 52.52% | -5,750 | -5.04% | 113,986 |
| San Luis Obispo | 38,802 | 46.63% | 44,403 | 53.37% | -5,601 | -6.73% | 83,205 |
| San Mateo | 101,379 | 65.75% | 52,798 | 34.25% | 48,581 | 31.51% | 154,177 |
| Santa Barbara | 56,458 | 52.73% | 50,612 | 47.27% | 5,846 | 5.46% | 107,070 |
| Santa Clara | 230,452 | 61.07% | 146,920 | 38.93% | 83,532 | 22.14% | 377,372 |
| Santa Cruz | 49,337 | 70.43% | 20,712 | 29.57% | 28,625 | 40.86% | 70,049 |
| Shasta | 17,536 | 31.63% | 37,900 | 68.37% | -20,364 | -36.73% | 55,436 |
| Sierra | 527 | 35.58% | 954 | 64.42% | -427 | -28.83% | 1,481 |
| Siskiyou | 5,387 | 40.03% | 8,070 | 59.97% | -2,683 | -19.94% | 13,457 |
| Solano | 50,195 | 57.56% | 37,016 | 42.44% | 13,179 | 15.11% | 87,211 |
| Sonoma | 92,369 | 66.80% | 45,913 | 33.20% | 46,456 | 33.60% | 138,282 |
| Stanislaus | 38,004 | 43.09% | 50,203 | 56.91% | -12,199 | -13.83% | 88,207 |
| Sutter | 6,721 | 33.87% | 13,123 | 66.13% | -6,402 | -32.26% | 19,844 |
| Tehama | 4,516 | 29.82% | 10,629 | 70.18% | -6,113 | -40.36% | 15,145 |
| Trinity | 1,657 | 43.65% | 2,139 | 56.35% | -482 | -12.70% | 3,796 |
| Tulare | 20,713 | 33.82% | 40,528 | 66.18% | -19,815 | -32.36% | 61,241 |
| Tuolumne | 6,256 | 37.74% | 10,321 | 62.26% | -4,065 | -24.52% | 16,577 |
| Ventura | 95,113 | 48.74% | 100,025 | 51.26% | -4,912 | -2.52% | 195,138 |
| Yolo | 27,269 | 61.94% | 16,757 | 38.06% | 10,512 | 23.88% | 44,026 |
| Yuba | 4,260 | 34.70% | 8,018 | 65.30% | -3,758 | -30.61% | 12,278 |
| Total | 3,799,711 | 53.63% | 3,285,334 | 46.37% | 514,377 | 7.26% | 7,085,045 |
References
[edit]- ↑ Paul Blumenthal (March 5, 2014). "Derek Cressman Aims To Take The Citizens United Fight Inside Government". The Huffington Post. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- 1 2 "Official certified list of candidates" (PDF). Secretary of State. California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on May 14, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ↑ Patrick McGreevy (April 11, 2013). "Sen. Alex Padilla announces run for California secretary of state". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved April 4, 2014.
- ↑ "Indicted California state senator ends Secretary of State campaign". Reuters. March 27, 2014. Retrieved March 28, 2014.
- ↑ Jean Merl (March 4, 2014). "Secretary of state candidates make their case at L.A. forum". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ↑ "California Secretary of State Candidate David Curtis Talks Green Politics". IVN. January 10, 2014. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ↑ "David Curtis Excluded from Sacramento Press Club Debate". Cal Newsroom. April 20, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Can a Green Party candidate break the glass ceiling?". Los Angeles Times. April 20, 2014. Retrieved April 20, 2014.
- ↑ Alex Gauthier (September 12, 2013). "Dan Schnur running for California Secretary of State". SCPR. Retrieved March 8, 2014.
- ↑ SurveyUSA
- ↑ Field Poll
- ↑ "Statement of Vote June 3, 2014, Statewide Direct Primary Election" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived from the original (PDF) on August 4, 2014. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ↑ GQR/American Viewpoint
- ↑ Field Poll
- ↑ Field Poll
- ↑ Gravis Marketing
- ↑ Bowen, Debra (December 12, 2014). "Complete Statement of Vote" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 16, 2026. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
- ↑ Bowen, Debra (December 12, 2014). "Secretary of State by County" (PDF). Secretary of State of California. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 24, 2025. Retrieved May 19, 2026.
External links
[edit]- California Secretary of State election, 2014 at Ballotpedia
- Campaign contributions at FollowTheMoney.org
Official campaign websites