California state elections, February 2008
Encyclopedia
The California state elections, February 2008 were held on February 5, 2008 throughout California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

. Presidential primaries and a special election for a State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 seat were among the contests held. Seven ballot propositions
California ballot proposition
In California, a ballot proposition is a proposed law that is submitted to the electorate for approval in a direct vote . It may take the form of a constitutional amendment or an ordinary statute. A ballot proposition may be proposed by the State Legislature or by a petition signed by members of...

 were also decided on.

Presidential primaries

Key: Withdrew prior to contest

American Independent presidential primary

Three candidates were on the ballot of the American Independent Party
American Independent Party
The American Independent Party is a right-wing political party of the United States that was established in 1967 by Bill and Eileen Shearer. In 1968, the American Independent Party nominated George C. Wallace as its presidential candidate and retired Air Force General Curtis E. LeMay as the vice...

, a state political party.
California American Independence presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage
Donald Grundmann 16,603 36.08%
Diane Templin
Diane Beall Templin
Diane Beall Templin was a third-party candidate for President of the United States in the 1996 election, the 2004 election, and the 2008 election....

15,302 33.25%
Mad Max Riekse 14,099 30.64%
David Larson (write-in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...

)
18 0.04%
Totals 46,022 100.00%
Voter turnout

Democratic presidential primary

California Democratic presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage National delegates
Hillary Clinton
Hillary Rodham Clinton
Hillary Diane Rodham Clinton is the 67th United States Secretary of State, serving in the administration of President Barack Obama. She was a United States Senator for New York from 2001 to 2009. As the wife of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton, she was the First Lady of the...

2,608,184 51.47% 204
Barack Obama
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

2,186,662 43.16% 166
John Edwards
John Edwards
Johnny Reid "John" Edwards is an American politician, who served as a U.S. Senator from North Carolina. He was the Democratic nominee for Vice President in 2004, and was a candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination in 2004 and 2008.He defeated incumbent Republican Lauch Faircloth in...

193,617 3.82% 0
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis Kucinich
Dennis John Kucinich is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 1997. He was furthermore a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the United States in the 2004 and 2008 presidential elections....

24,126 0.48% 0
Bill Richardson 19,939 0.39% 0
Joe Biden
Joe Biden
Joseph Robinette "Joe" Biden, Jr. is the 47th and current Vice President of the United States, serving under President Barack Obama...

18,261 0.36% 0
Mike Gravel
Mike Gravel
Maurice Robert "Mike" Gravel is a former Democratic United States Senator from Alaska, who served two terms from 1969 to 1981, and a former candidate in the 2008 presidential election....

8,184 0.16% 0
Christopher Dodd
Christopher Dodd
Christopher John "Chris" Dodd is an American lawyer, lobbyist, and Democratic Party politician who served as a United States Senator from Connecticut for a thirty-year period ending with the 111th United States Congress....

8,005 0.16% 0
Willie Carter (write-in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...

)
4 0.00% 0
Eric Hinzman (write-in) 4 0.00% 0
Phil Epstein (write-in) 3 0.00% 0
Brian Calef (write-in) 2 0.00% 0
David Frey (write-in) 1 0.00% 0
Joseph McAndrew (write-in) 1 0.00% 0
Keith Judd (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
Julius Mogyorossy (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
Totals 5,066,993 100.00% 370
Voter turnout

Green presidential primary

Seven candidates participated in the Green Party
Green Party (United States)
The Green Party of the United States is a nationally recognized political party which officially formed in 1991. It is a voluntary association of state green parties. Prior to national formation, many state affiliates had already formed and were recognized by other state parties...

's presidential primary, which is a non-binding contest.
California Green presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage National delegates
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....

21,726 60.61% 102
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...

9,534 26.60% 45
Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown
Elaine Brown is an American prison activist, writer, singer, and former Black Panther leader who is based in Oakland, California. She is a former chairperson of the Black Panther Party. Brown briefly ran for the Green Party presidential nomination in 2008...

1,598 4.46% 7
Kat Swift
Kat Swift
Kat Swift is a United States political activist, former co-chair of the Green Party of Texas, and spokesperson for the Green Party's National Women’s Caucus. She announced her intention to seek the 2008 Presidential nomination of the US Green Party at the 2004 Green Party National Convention in...

1,084 3.02% 5
Kent Mesplay
Kent Mesplay
Kent Mesplay is the California delegate to the Green National Committee and unsuccessfully sought the 2004 Green Party Presidential nomination which he lost again in 2008.-Personal:...

727 2.03% 3
Jesse Johnson
Jesse Johnson (politician)
Jesse C. Johnson, Jr. is an Executive Committee member and former chair of the environmentalist Mountain Party, the West Virginia affiliate of the Green Party. He has twice been his party's candidate for Governor of West Virginia, and once for a Senate seat...

619 1.73% 3
Jared Ball 556 1.55% 3
Totals 35,844 100.00% 168
Voter turnout 28.21%

Libertarian presidential primary

California Libertarian presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage
Christine Smith 4,241 25.16%
Steve Kubby
Steve Kubby
Steven "Steve" Wynn Kubby is a Libertarian Party activist who played a key role in the drafting and passage of California Proposition 215. The proposition was a ballot initiative to legalize medical marijuana which was approved by voters in 1996. Kubby himself is well-known as a cancer patient who...

2,876 17.06%
Wayne Root
Wayne Allyn Root
Wayne Allyn Root is an American politician, entrepreneur, television and radio personality, author and political commentator. He was the 2008 Libertarian Party vice-presidential nominee. In June 2009 Richard Winger wrote he was the front runner for the 2012 Libertarian Presidential nomination...

2,360 14.00%
Bob Jackson 1,486 8.81%
Barry Hess
Barry Hess
Barry J. Hess II is an investor, business owner, writer and United States Libertarian Party activist. He was the Libertarian Party of Arizona nominee for U.S. Senate from Arizona in 2000 finishing 4th of 4 with 70,724 votes , and the Libertarian candidate for Governor of Arizona in 2002 , 2006 and...

891 5.29%
George Phillies 852 5.05%
Michael Jingozian 774 4.59%
Robert Milnes 721 4.28%
Daniel Imperato
Daniel Imperato
Daniel Imperato is an American businessman, and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Libertarian Party nomination for President of the United States in 2008. Imperato has also unsuccessfully sought the Green Party, Reform Party, and Constitution Party nominations...

707 4.19%
John Finan 706 4.19%
Dave Hollist 678 4.02%
Alden Link 565 3.35%
Leon Ray (write-in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...

)
1 0.01%
Totals 16,858 100.00%
Voter turnout 20.96%

Peace and Freedom presidential primary

Seven candidates participated in the Peace and Freedom presidential primary, a non-binding "beauty contest". Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....

 received a plurality of the votes, followed by Gloria La Riva and Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...

. Stewart Alexander
Stewart Alexander (politician)
Stewart Alexis Alexander is an American democratic socialist politician, presidential nominee for the Socialist Party USA in the 2012 election., and former SPUSA nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election....

 was nominated to be Socialist Party
Socialist Party USA
The Socialist Party USA is a multi-tendency democratic-socialist party in the United States. The party states that it is the rightful continuation and successor to the tradition of the Socialist Party of America, which had lasted from 1901 to 1972.The party is officially committed to left-wing...

 candidate Brian Moore
Brian Moore (politician)
Brian Patrick Moore is an United States politician and founder of antiwar organization Nature Coast Coalition for Peace & Justice. He was the presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA for the 2008 United States presidential election. He waged several campaigns for mayor and city council in...

's running mate in October of 2007, but remained on the Peace and Freedom ballot.
California Peace and Freedom presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader
Ralph Nader is an American political activist, as well as an author, lecturer, and attorney. Areas of particular concern to Nader include consumer protection, humanitarianism, environmentalism, and democratic government....

2,620 40.66%
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia McKinney
Cynthia Ann McKinney is a former US Congresswoman and a member of the Green Party since 2007. As a member of the Democratic Party, she served six terms as a member of the United States House of Representatives. In 2008, the Green Party nominated McKinney for President of the United States...

1,385 21.49%
Gloria La Riva 1,292 20.05%
Brian Moore
Brian Moore (politician)
Brian Patrick Moore is an United States politician and founder of antiwar organization Nature Coast Coalition for Peace & Justice. He was the presidential nominee of the Socialist Party USA for the 2008 United States presidential election. He waged several campaigns for mayor and city council in...

355 5.51%
John Crockford 346 5.37%
Stewart Alexander
Stewart Alexander (politician)
Stewart Alexis Alexander is an American democratic socialist politician, presidential nominee for the Socialist Party USA in the 2012 election., and former SPUSA nominee for Vice President of the United States in the 2008 election....

340 5.28%
Stanley Hetz 106 1.64%
Totals 6,444 100.00%
Voter turnout 11.27%

Republican presidential primary

California Republican presidential primary, 2008
Candidate Votes Percentage National delegates
John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....

1,238,988 42.25% 116
Mitt Romney
Mitt Romney
Willard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...

1,013,471 34.56% 3
Mike Huckabee
Mike Huckabee
Michael "Mike" Dale Huckabee is an American politician who served as the 44th Governor of Arkansas from 1996 to 2007. He was a candidate in the 2008 United States Republican presidential primaries, finishing second in delegate count and third in both popular vote and number of states won . He won...

340,669 11.62% 0
Rudy Giuliani
Rudy Giuliani
Rudolph William Louis "Rudy" Giuliani KBE is an American lawyer, businessman, and politician from New York. He served as Mayor of New York City from 1994 to 2001....

128,681 4.39% 0
Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...

125,365 4.27% 0
Fred Thompson 50,275 1.71% 0
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Hunter
Duncan Lee Hunter is an American politician. He was a Republican member of the House of Representatives from California's 52nd, 45th and 42nd districts from 1981 to 2009....

14,021 0.48% 0
Alan Keyes
Alan Keyes
Alan Lee Keyes is an American conservative political activist, author, former diplomat, and perennial candidate for public office. A doctoral graduate of Harvard University, Keyes began his diplomatic career in the U.S...

11,742 0.40% 0
John Cox
John H. Cox
John Herman Cox is an American lawyer, accountant, businessman, broadcaster, and aspiring politician. He was the first Republican to seek formally the party's 2008 nomination for president, but effectively withdrew from the race in late 2007 and suspended his campaign shortly after.-Biography:Born...

3,219 0.11% 0
Tom Tancredo
Tom Tancredo
Thomas Gerard "Tom" Tancredo is an American politician from Colorado, who represented the state's sixth congressional district in the United States House of Representatives from 1999 to 2009, as a Republican...

3,884 0.13% 0
Sam Brownback
Sam Brownback
Samuel Dale "Sam" Brownback is the 46th and current Governor of Kansas. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a U.S. Senator from Kansas from 1996 to 2011, and as a U.S. Representative for Kansas's 2nd congressional district from 1995 to 1996...

2,486 0.08% 0
Karen Irish (write-in
Write-in candidate
A write-in candidate is a candidate in an election whose name does not appear on the ballot, but for whom voters may vote nonetheless by writing in the person's name. Some states and local jurisdictions allow a voter to affix a sticker with a write-in candidate's name on it to the ballot in lieu...

)
6 0.00% 0
Michael Shaw (write-in) 2 0.00% 0
Edward Marshall (write-in) 1 0.00% 0
Joel Neuberg (write-in) 1 0.00% 0
Robert Brickell (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
Brian Calef (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
David Frey (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
Walter Rothnie (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
John Sutherland (write-in) 0 0.00% 0
Totals 2,932,811 100.00% 119
Voter turnout 56.08%

Proposition 91

Proposition 91 sought to amend the California Constitution
California Constitution
The document that establishes and describes the duties, powers, structure and function of the government of the U.S. state of California. The original constitution, adopted in November 1849 in advance of California attaining U.S. statehood in 1850, was superseded by the current constitution, which...

 to prohibit motor vehicle fuel sales taxes that are earmarked for transportation purposes from being retained in the state's General Fund.

Proposition 92

Proposition 92 sought to amend Proposition 98
California Proposition 98 (1988)
California Proposition 98 requires a minimum percentage of the state budget to be spent on K-14 education. Prop 98 guarantees an annual increase in education in the California budget. Prop 98, also called the "Classroom Instructional Improvement and Accountability Act," amended the California...

 of 1988, which sets a mandate for the minimum level of funding each year for elementary and secondary schools and community colleges.

Proposition 93

Proposition 93 sought to change the term limits for members of the California State Legislature
California State Legislature
The California State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of California. It is a bicameral body consisting of the lower house, the California State Assembly, with 80 members, and the upper house, the California State Senate, with 40 members...

 in both the in the State Assembly
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 and State Senate
California State Senate
The California State Senate is the upper house of the California State Legislature. There are 40 state senators. The state legislature meets in the California State Capitol in Sacramento. The Lieutenant Governor is the ex officio President of the Senate and may break a tied vote...

.

Proposition 94

Proposition 94 sought to expand the Indian Gaming Compact with the Pechanga Band of Luiseño Mission Indians.

Proposition 95

Proposition 95 sought to expand the Indian Gaming Compact with the Morongo Band of Mission Indians
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...

.

Proposition 96

Proposition 96 sought to expand the Indian Gaming Compact with the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation
Kumeyaay
The Kumeyaay, also known as Tipai-Ipai, Kamia, or formerly Diegueño, are Native American people of the extreme southwestern United States and northwest Mexico. They live in the states of California in the US and Baja California in Mexico. In Spanish, the name is commonly spelled...

.

Proposition 97

Proposition 97 sought to expand the Indian Gaming Compact with the Agua Caliente Band of Cahuilla Indians
Cahuilla
The Cahuilla, Iviatim in their own language, are Indians with a common culture whose ancestors inhabited inland areas of southern California 2,000 years ago. Their original territory included an area of about . The traditional Cahuilla territory was near the geographic center of Southern California...

.

55th State Assembly district special election

The seat of California's 55th State Assembly district
California's 55th State Assembly district
California's 55th State Assembly District is one of 80 districts in the California State Assembly. It is currently represented by Democrat Warren T...

 was vacated by Assemblymember
California State Assembly
The California State Assembly is the lower house of the California State Legislature. There are 80 members in the Assembly, representing an approximately equal number of constituents, with each district having a population of at least 420,000...

 Laura Richardson
Laura Richardson
Laura Richardson is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2007. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district encompasses the inland section of Long Beach, Carson, Compton and Signal Hill, as well as parts of other municipalities.She previously represented the 55th district in the...

, who won a special election
California's 37th congressional district special election, 2007
California's 37th congressional district special election, 2007 was held on August 21, 2007 to replace the seat of Congresswomen Juanita Millender-McDonald, who died of cancer on April 22, 2007. California State Assemblymember Laura Richardson received the plurality of votes in an open primary...

 to fill California's 37th congressional district
California's 37th congressional district
California's 37th congressional district is a congressional district in the U.S. state of California based in Los Angeles County. The district encompasses most of Long Beach and Compton as well as Carson, Signal Hill, and parts of other adjacent municipalities and neighborhoods in Greater Los...

 on June 26, 2007. The congressional district was vacant after Juanita Millender-McDonald
Juanita Millender-McDonald
Juanita Millender-McDonald was an American politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from 1996 until her death in 2007, representing California's 37th congressional district, which includes most of South Central Los Angeles and the city of Long Beach, California...

 died of cancer on April 22, 2007.

Primary election

A primary election for the special election was held on December 11, 2007. Since no candidate won a majority, the candidates with the top votes for each party appeared on the ballots for the special election.

Special election

See also

  • Political party strength in California
    Political party strength in California
    The following table indicates the party of elected officials in the U.S. state of California:*Governor*Lieutenant Governor*Attorney General*Secretary of State*Treasurer*Controller*Insurance Commissioner*Superintendent of Public Instruction...

  • Political party strength in U.S. states
    Political party strength in U.S. states
    Throughout most of the 20th century, although the Republican and Democratic parties alternated in power at a national level, some states were so overwhelmingly dominated by one party that nomination was usually tantamount to election...


External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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