2014 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election

The 2014 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the Superintendent of Public Instruction of California. Unlike most other elections in California, the superintendent is not elected under the state's "top-two primary". Instead, the officially nonpartisan position is elected via a nonpartisan primary election, with a runoff only held if no candidate receives a majority of the vote.

2014 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election

← 2010 June 3, 2014 (first round) November 4, 2014 (runoff) 2018 →

Candidate Tom Torlakson Marshall Tuck Lydia Gutierrez Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan Nonpartisan First round 1,767,257 46.5% 1,098,441 28.9% 931,719 24.5% Runoff 3,167,212 52.1% 2,906,989 47.9% Eliminated

First round county results Runoff county results Torlakson:      30–40%      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80% Tuck:      30–40%      50–60% Gutierrez:      40–50%

Superintendent before election Tom Torlakson Elected Superintendent Tom Torlakson

Incumbent superintendent Tom Torlakson ran for re-election to a second term in office. In the primary election on June 3, 2014, no candidate received a majority of the vote, so the top two finishers, Torlakson and Marshall Tuck, contested a general election, which Torlakson won.

Primary election

Candidates

• Lydia Gutierrez, teacher, Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood Councilwoman and candidate for Superintendent in 2010^[1]
• Tom Torlakson, incumbent superintendent of public instruction^[2]
• Marshall Tuck, educator, former CEO of Partnership for LA Schools and former president of Green Dot Public Schools^[3]

Results

California Superintendent of Public Instruction primary, 2014^[4]

Candidate		Votes	%
Tom Torlakson (incumbent)		1,767,257	46.5
Marshall Tuck		1,098,441	28.9
Lydia Gutierrez		931,719	24.5
Total votes		3,797,417	100.0

General election

Polling

Poll source	Date(s) administered	Sample size	Margin of error	Tom Torlakson	Marshall Tuck	Undecided
GQR/American Viewpoint[5]	October 22–29, 2014	1,162	± 3.3%	32%	29%	40%
Field Poll[6]	October 15–28, 2014	941	± 3.4%	28%	28%	44%
Field Poll[7]	August 14–28, 2014	467	± 4.8%	28%	31%	41%

Results

California Superintendent of Public Instruction, 2014^[8]

Candidate		Votes	%
Tom Torlakson (incumbent)		3,167,212	52.1%
Marshall Tuck		2,906,989	47.9%
Majority		260,223	4.3%
Total votes		6,074,201	100.0%

See also

• California Department of Education