1988 United States Senate election in California

The 1988 United States Senate election in California took place on November 8, 1988. Incumbent Senator Pete Wilson won re-election to a second term.

1988 United States Senate election in California

← 1982 November 8, 1988 1992 (special) →

Nominee Pete Wilson Leo T. McCarthy Party Republican Democratic Popular vote 5,143,409 4,287,253 Percentage 52.79% 44.00%

County results Wilson:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70% McCarthy:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election Pete Wilson Republican Elected U.S. Senator Pete Wilson Republican

As of 2025, this is the last time a Republican won a U.S. Senate election in California. This was also the first time since 1952 that an incumbent Senator was re-elected to this seat, and the last time until 2022 that a man would win a Senate election in California.

Democratic primary

Candidates

• John Hancock Abbott, perennial candidate
• Robert John Banuelos, candidate for Senate in 1986
• Charles Greene, candidate for Senate in 1986 and Los Angeles County Sheriff in 1982
• Leo T. McCarthy, Lieutenant Governor of California and former Speaker of the California State Assembly

Results

1988 Democratic Senate primary^[1]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Democratic	Leo T. McCarthy	2,367,067	81.69%
	Democratic	John H. Abbott	220,331	7.60%
	Democratic	Robert J. Banuelos	163,882	5.66%
	Democratic	Charles Greene	146,307	5.05%
Total votes			2,897,587	100.0%

Peace and Freedom primary

Candidates

• Gloria Garcia, nominee for California Secretary of State in 1986
• Maria Elizabeth Muñoz, Chicana activist and nominee for Governor in 1986

Results

1988 Peace and Freedom Senate primary^[2]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%
	Peace and Freedom	Maria Elizabeth Muñoz	3,701	58.52%
	Peace and Freedom	Gloria Garcia	2,623	41.48%
Total votes			6,324	100.0%

General election

Candidates

• Joel Britton (Independent)
• Jack Dean (Libertarian)
• Leo T. McCarthy, Lieutenant Governor of California and former Speaker of the California State Assembly (Democratic)
• Maria Elizabeth Muñoz, Chicana activist and nominee for Governor in 1986 (Peace and Freedom)
• Merton D. Short (American Independent)
• Pete Wilson, incumbent Senator (Republican)

Results

1988 U.S. Senate election in California^[3]

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Republican	Pete Wilson (incumbent)	5,143,409	52.79%	1.25
	Democratic	Leo T. McCarthy	4,287,253	44.00%	0.78
	Peace and Freedom	Maria Elizabeth Muñoz	166,600	1.71%	0.47
	Libertarian	Jack Dean	79,997	0.82%	0.51
	American Independent	Merton D. Short	66,291	0.68%	0.39
	Independent	Joel Britton	51	0.00%	N/A
Total votes			9,743,601	100.00%
	Republican hold		Swing

By County

County	Wilson	Votes	McCarthy	Votes	Munoz	Votes	Dean	Votes	Others	Votes
Orange	68.23%	593,614	28.88%	251,264	1.48%	12,919	0.85%	7,418	0.55%	4,783
Inyo	65.37%	4,986	31.79%	2,425	1,28%	98	0.63%	48	0.92%	70
San Diego	64.06%	549,367	33.07%	283,554	1.34%	11,490	0.86%	7,343	0.68%	5,811
Mono	63.97%	2,397	31.49%	1,180	2.38%	89	1.12%	42	1.04%	39
Sutter	63.61%	12,724	32.33%	6,466	2.06%	413	1.17%	234	0.82%	165
Ventura	62.55%	149,958	34.14%	81,831	1.77%	4,235	0.84%	2,025	0.70%	1,678
Glenn	62.24%	5,006	34.40%	2,767	1.28%	103	0.81%	65	1.27%	102
Tulare	61.42%	46,958	35.29%	26,980	2.13%	1,630	0.63%	478	0.53%	408
Kern	60.77%	91,303	35.55%	53,415	2.09%	3,146	0.80%	1,202	0.79%	1,188
Modoc	60.72%	2,441	35.17%	1,414	1.47%	59	1.00%	40	1.67%	66
El Dorado	60.62%	30,738	35.47%	17,986	1.95%	990	0.96%	488	1.00%	507
Placer	60.41%	42,643	35.76%	25,243	1.97%	1,389	1.00%	709	0.85%	603
Shasta	60.38%	30,821	36.02%	18,384	1.37%	699	1.04%	532	1.19%	606
San Bernardino	59.44%	230,772	36.95%	143,465	1.90%	7,371	0.73%	2,821	0.99%	3,821
Nevada	59.10%	21,815	36.84%	13,598	2.10%	776	1.17%	433	0.78%	289
Riverside	58.60%	195,956	38.40%	128,422	1.73%	5,791	0.56%	1,866	0.71%	2,369
Colusa	58.69%	2,960	38.44%	1,942	1.66%	84	0.42%	21	0.89%	45
San Luis Obispo	58.13%	49,564	38.13%	32,452	1.80%	1,528	1.06%	904	0.77%	653
Tehama	57.64%	10,338	38.56%	6,916	1.23%	221	1,24%	222	1.32%	237
Yuba	57.53%	8,828	38.97%	5,980	1.74%	267	0.85%	131	0.91%	139
Madera	56.85%	13,324	38.90%	9,117	2.47%	580	0.84%	196	0.94%	220
Santa Barbara	56.85%	81,282	39.81%	56,916	1.99%	2,850	0.83%	1,187	0.52%	750
Calaveras	56.65%	7,584	39.81%	5,310	1.44%	193	1.13%	151	1.12%	150
Kings	56.33%	12,238	40.19%	8,737	2.10%	456	0.63%	136	0.76%	165
Mariposa	56.33%	3,895	39.65%	2,742	1.62%	112	1.08%	75	1.32%	91
Amador	56.23%	6,896	40.02%	4,912	1.61%	197	0.97%	119	1.15%	141
Alpine	56.14%	311	35.02%	194	5.05%	28	1.26%	7	2.53%	14
Tuolumne	55.80%	10,781	40.85%	7,892	1.65%	319	0.81%	156	0.90%	173
Butte	55.59%	40,056	40.09%	28,886	1.77%	1,272	1.26%	909	1.29%	933
San Joaquin	55.30%	75,753	41.12%	56,330	1.93%	2,650	0.61%	840	1.03%	1,416
Lassen	54.96%	4,780	40.71%	3,541	1.93%	168	0.94%	82	1.46%	127
Trinity	54.01%	3,337	39.80%	2,459	2.06%	127	1.96%	121	2.17%	134
Stanislaus	53.28%	51,423	43.97%	42,440	1.53%	1,476	0.57%	554	0.65%	623
Fresno	53.00%	99,315	43-62%	81,733	1.97%	3,696	0.71%	1,336	0.69%	1,291
Siskiyou	52.84%	9,448	42.38%	7,577	1.78%	319	1.30%	232	1.70%	304
Imperial	52.36%	12,391	42.67%	10,099	3.47%	822	0.77%	182	0.73%	173
Plumas	52.13%	4,635	43.60%	3,877	2.10%	187	1.12%	100	1.05%	93
Merced	52.04%	20,513	43.75%	17,247	2.32%	913	0.82%	325	1.07%	421
Sacramento	51.85%	201,827	44.47%	173,110	1.93%	7,496	0.76%	2,960	1.00%	3,885
Napa	51.83%	24,071	44.40%	20,619	1.82%	843	1.12%	519	0.84%	392
San Benito	51.82%	5,331	43.73%	4,499	2.54%	261	0.92%	95	0.99%	102
Contra Costa	51.10%	168,760	46.24%	152,714	1.29%	4,549	0.77%	2,549	0.60%	1,991
Sierra	51.04%	880	44.05%	759	2.69%	46	0.81%	14	1.39%	24
Monterey	49.83%	50,136	46.11%	46,401	2.33%	2,340	1.01%	1,012	0.73%	732
Lake	48.86%	9,516	47.28%	9,210	1.64%	320	1.24%	241	0.98%	191
Los Angeles	48.61%	1,265,582	48.46%	1,261,449	1.74%	45,427	0.67%	17,458	0.51%	13,375
Solano	48.22%	47,288	48.36%	47,420	1.57%	1,536	0.97%	955	0.88%	860
Santa Clara	47.69%	253,865	48.36%	257,463	1.96%	10,436	1.26%	6,734	0.73%	3,867
San Mateo	45.21%	111,187	51.12%	125,724	1.49%	3,659	0.98%	2,408	1.19%	2,940
Del Norte	45.08%	3,418	50.95%	3,863	1.74%	132	0.71%	54	1.52%	115
Sonoma	44.95%	71,775	51.19%	81,747	1.99%	3,185	1.05%	1,677	0.82%	1,304
Yolo	44.51%	23,459	51.78%	27,291	2.15%	1,133	0.87%	456	0.70%	370
Mendocino	43.71%	13,318	51.97%	15,835	2.10%	640	1.26%	385	0.96%	292
Marin	43.02%	49,942	54.35%	63,101	1.11%	1,288	1.06%	1,232	0.46%	536
Santa Cruz	38.16%	39,104	57.30%	58,715	2.60%	2,666	1.28%	1,307	0.65%	669
Humboldt	37.70%	19,384	59.27%	30,472	1.56%	804	0.73%	376	0.73%	375
Alameda	36.81%	173,204	60.22%	283,548	1.56%	7,327	0.85%	4,017	0.56%	2,656
San Francisco	28.70%	70,102	68.83%	167,613	1.29%	3,153	0.75%	1818	0.34%	841

See also

• 1988 United States Senate elections

Notes