California state elections, November 2010
Encyclopedia
The California state elections, November 2010 were held on November 2, 2010.
On a year marked by a strong Republican wave nationwide, the State of California elected Democrats to the state's top offices of Governor
, Lieutenant Governor
, State Controller
, State Treasurer
, Superintendent of Public Education, Insurance Commissioner
and United States Senator
. On November 24, 2010, the California Democratic Party
set a record for winning every statewide elected office in California in a single election when the last outstanding race - the one for Attorney General
- was decided in Kamala Harris' favor. Because fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein
holds the other Senate seat that was not up for election in 2010, the Democrats held every statewide elected office in California beginning in 2011.
, the upper house
of California's bicameral
State Legislature
. Voters in the 20 even-numbered districts
of the California State Senate will vote for their representatives.
districts voted for their representatives.
that would authorize an $11.1 billion bond
to upgrade California's water system. On August 9, 2010, the California Legislature postponed the vote on the proposition until 2012.
that would legalize
up to 1 ounce of marijuana for persons 21 years or older and would allow local governments to regulate
as well as tax
the newly created cannabis market.
to re-draw congressional district lines
, in addition to its current job of drawing state senate district lines and state assembly district lines.
from taking certain funds, such as transportation funds, from the local governments.
until statewide unemployment
falls below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters.
three business tax breaks passed by the state legislature as part of negotiations of the 2008–10 California budget crisis.
by a simple majority instead of the current two-thirds requirement. The two-thirds majority for passing taxes would not change.
Proposition 11
, which established the Citizens Redistricting Commission
.
On a year marked by a strong Republican wave nationwide, the State of California elected Democrats to the state's top offices of Governor
Governor of California
The Governor of California is the chief executive of the California state government, whose responsibilities include making annual State of the State addresses to the California State Legislature, submitting the budget, and ensuring that state laws are enforced...
, Lieutenant Governor
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
, State Controller
California State Controller
The State Controller is the Chief Financial Officer of the State of California in the United States. The post has broader responsibilities and authority than the California State Treasurer...
, State Treasurer
California State Treasurer
The California State Treasurer is responsible for the state's investment and finance. The post has more narrow responsibilities and authority than the California State Controller...
, Superintendent of Public Education, Insurance Commissioner
California Insurance Commissioner
California Insurance Commissioner is an elected executive office position in California. The officeholder is in charge of the California Department of Insurance.The current Insurance Commissioner is Democrat Dave Jones.- Duties :...
and United States Senator
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
. On November 24, 2010, the California Democratic Party
California Democratic Party
The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority...
set a record for winning every statewide elected office in California in a single election when the last outstanding race - the one for Attorney General
California Attorney General
The California Attorney General is the State Attorney General of California. The officer's duty is to ensure that "the laws of the state are uniformly and adequately enforced" The Attorney General carries out the responsibilities of the office through the California Department of Justice.The...
- was decided in Kamala Harris' favor. Because fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Feinstein
Dianne Goldman Berman Feinstein is the senior U.S. Senator from California. A member of the Democratic Party, she has served in the Senate since 1992. She also served as 38th Mayor of San Francisco from 1978 to 1988....
holds the other Senate seat that was not up for election in 2010, the Democrats held every statewide elected office in California beginning in 2011.
United States Senate
United States House of Representatives
| United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Democratic California Democratic Party The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority... |
5,137,507 | 53.4% | 34 | 0 | |
| Republican California Republican Party The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento.... |
4,182,957 | 43.4% | 19 | 0 | |
| Others | 307,857 | 3.2% | 0 | 0 | |
| Valid votes | 9,628,321 | ||||
| Invalid or blank votes | |||||
| Totals | 100.0% | 53 | 0 | ||
| Voter turnout | |||||
Governor
Lieutenant Governor
Secretary of State
State Controller
State Treasurer
Attorney General
Insurance Commissioner
Superintendent of Public Instruction
District 1
District 2
District 3
District 4
Chief Justice nomination
Associate Justices
State Senate
There are 40 seats in the State SenateCalifornia 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...
, the upper house
Upper house
An upper house, often called a senate, is one of two chambers of a bicameral legislature, the other chamber being the lower house; a legislature composed of only one house is described as unicameral.- Possible specific characteristics :...
of California's bicameral
Bicameralism
In the government, bicameralism is the practice of having two legislative or parliamentary chambers. Thus, a bicameral parliament or bicameral legislature is a legislature which consists of two chambers or houses....
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...
. Voters in the 20 even-numbered districts
California State Senate districts
California's State Senate districts are numbered 1st through 40th.California's 1st State Senate districtCalifornia's 2nd State Senate districtCalifornia's 3rd State Senate districtCalifornia's 4th State Senate districtCalifornia's 5th State Senate district...
of the California State Senate will vote for their representatives.
| California State Senate elections, 2010 | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Not up | Incumbents | Open | Before | After | |
| Democratic California Democratic Party The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority... |
2,269,550 | 55.6 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 25 | 25 | |
| Republican California Republican Party The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento.... |
1,728,863 | 42.3 | 9 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 15 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party of California The Libertarian Party of California is the California affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Kevin Takenaga.- Libertarians in office in California :-See also:*David Bergland*Steve Kubby*James P. Gray*Gail Lightfoot*George Monty Davis... |
64,163 | 1.6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Green Green Party of California The Green Party of California is the California affiliate of the Green Party. The party is a ballot-qualified in California, first established as such in 1991, using the petition method of gaining state recognition.... |
11,871 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Peace and Freedom | 10,209 | 0.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
10 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Totals | 4,084,666 | 100.0 | 20 | 10 | 10 | 40 | 40 | |
State Assembly
Voters in all 80 of California's State AssemblyCalifornia 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...
districts voted for their representatives.
| California State Assembly elections, 2010 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Party | Votes | Percentage | Seats | +/– | |
| Democratic California Democratic Party The California Democratic Party is the state branch of the Democratic Party in the state of California, headquartered in Sacramento. It is chaired by veteran Democratic politician and former United States Representative John L. Burton, who succeeded Art Torres in April 2009. It is the majority... |
5,024,759 | 54.0 | 52 | +2 | |
| Republican California Republican Party The California Republican Party is the California affiliate of the United States Republican Party. The party chairman is Tom Del Beccaro and is based in Burbank, California, a suburb of Los Angeles. The RPC also has a headquarters in Sacramento.... |
4,084,979 | 43.9 | 28 | -1 | |
| Libertarian Libertarian Party of California The Libertarian Party of California is the California affiliate of the Libertarian Party. The state chair is Kevin Takenaga.- Libertarians in office in California :-See also:*David Bergland*Steve Kubby*James P. Gray*Gail Lightfoot*George Monty Davis... |
115,709 | 1.2 | 0 | 0 | |
| Green Green Party of California The Green Party of California is the California affiliate of the Green Party. The party is a ballot-qualified in California, first established as such in 1991, using the petition method of gaining state recognition.... |
46,599 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | |
| Peace and Freedom | 26,809 | 0.3 | 0 | 0 | |
| American Independent 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... |
4,269 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Independent Independent (politician) In politics, an independent or non-party politician is an individual not affiliated to any political party. Independents may hold a centrist viewpoint between those of major political parties, a viewpoint more extreme than any major party, or they may have a viewpoint based on issues that they do... |
163 | 0.0 | 0 | -1 | |
| Invalid or blank votes | — | — | |||
| Valid votes | 9,303,287 | — | — | ||
| Totals | 100.0% | 80 | — | ||
| Voter turnout | |||||
Statewide ballot propositions
The following propositions have been approved for the November ballot either through referral by the state legislature or by obtaining 433,971 signatures for proposed statutes and 694,354 signatures for constitutional amendments.Proposition 18
This is a legislatively-referred state statuteLegislatively-referred state statute
A legislatively-referred state statute is a statute that appears on a state's ballot as a ballot measure because the state legislature in that state voted to put it before the voters....
that would authorize an $11.1 billion bond
Bond (finance)
In finance, a bond is a debt security, in which the authorized issuer owes the holders a debt and, depending on the terms of the bond, is obliged to pay interest to use and/or to repay the principal at a later date, termed maturity...
to upgrade California's water system. On August 9, 2010, the California Legislature postponed the vote on the proposition until 2012.
Proposition 19
This is a citizen-initiated state statuteInitiative
In political science, an initiative is a means by which a petition signed by a certain minimum number of registered voters can force a public vote...
that would legalize
Legalization
Legalization is the process of removing a legal prohibition against something which is currently not legal.Legalization is a process often applied to what are regarded, by those working towards legalization, as victimless crimes, of which one example is the consumption of illegal drugs .Those...
up to 1 ounce of marijuana for persons 21 years or older and would allow local governments to regulate
Regulation
Regulation is administrative legislation that constitutes or constrains rights and allocates responsibilities. It can be distinguished from primary legislation on the one hand and judge-made law on the other...
as well as tax
Tax
To tax is to impose a financial charge or other levy upon a taxpayer by a state or the functional equivalent of a state such that failure to pay is punishable by law. Taxes are also imposed by many subnational entities...
the newly created cannabis market.
Proposition 20
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would require the California Citizens Redistricting CommissionCitizens Redistricting Commission
The Citizens Redistricting Commission is the redistricting organization for the state of California. It is responsible for determining the boundaries for the Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts in the state. The 14-member commission consists of five Democrats, five Republicans,...
to re-draw congressional district lines
Congressional district
A congressional district is “a geographical division of a state from which one member of the House of Representatives is elected.”Congressional Districts are made up of three main components, a representative, constituents, and the specific land area that both the representative and the...
, in addition to its current job of drawing state senate district lines and state assembly district lines.
Proposition 21
This is a citizen-initiated state statute that would increase vehicle license fees by $18 a year to fund state parks. The initiative also removes current state park motor vehicle parking fees.Proposition 22
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would prevent the state governmentState government
A state government is the government of a subnational entity in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government. A state government may have some level of political autonomy, or be subject to the direct control of the federal government...
from taking certain funds, such as transportation funds, from the local governments.
Proposition 23
This is a citizen-initiated state statute that would suspend California's Global Warming Solutions ActGlobal Warming Solutions Act of 2006
The Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006, or Assembly Bill 32, is a California State Law that fights climate change by establishing a comprehensive program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from all sources throughout the state...
until statewide unemployment
Unemployment
Unemployment , as defined by the International Labour Organization, occurs when people are without jobs and they have actively sought work within the past four weeks...
falls below 5.5% for four consecutive quarters.
Proposition 24
This is a citizen-initiated state statute that would repealReferendum
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
three business tax breaks passed by the state legislature as part of negotiations of the 2008–10 California budget crisis.
Proposition 25
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would allow state budgets to be passed by the state legislatureState legislature
In the United States of America, a state legislature is a generic term referring to the legislative body of any of the country's 50 states. The formal name varies from state to state. In 24 states, the legislature is simply called the "Legislature", or the "State Legislature", while in 19 states,...
by a simple majority instead of the current two-thirds requirement. The two-thirds majority for passing taxes would not change.
Proposition 26
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would require voters to approve new state levies and charges by a two-thirds super majority, with some exceptions.Proposition 27
This is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would repealRepeal
A repeal is the amendment, removal or reversal of a law. This is generally done when a law is no longer effective, or it is shown that a law is having far more negative consequences than were originally envisioned....
Proposition 11
California Proposition 11 (2008)
Proposition 11 of 2008 was a law enacted by California voters that placed the power to draw electoral boundaries for State Assembly and State Senate districts in a Citizens Redistricting Commission, as opposed to the State Legislature. To do this the Act amended both the Constitution of California...
, which established the Citizens Redistricting Commission
Citizens Redistricting Commission
The Citizens Redistricting Commission is the redistricting organization for the state of California. It is responsible for determining the boundaries for the Senate, Assembly, and Board of Equalization districts in the state. The 14-member commission consists of five Democrats, five Republicans,...
.
See also
- California State LegislatureCalifornia State LegislatureThe 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...
- California State AssemblyCalifornia State AssemblyThe 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...
- California State SenateCalifornia State SenateThe 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...
- California gubernatorial election, 2010California gubernatorial election, 2010The 2010 California gubernatorial election was held November 2, 2010 to elect the Governor of California. The primary elections were held on June 8, 2010. Because constitutional office holders in California are prohibited from serving more than two terms in the same office since 1990, incumbent...
- List of California ballot propositions
- California state elections, June 2010California state elections, June 2010The California state elections, June 2010 were held on June 8, 2010 and included five propositions and two special elections, one for a State Senate seat and the other for a State Assembly seat...
- Political party strength in U.S. statesPolitical party strength in U.S. statesThroughout 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...
- Political party strength in CaliforniaPolitical party strength in CaliforniaThe 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...
- Elections in CaliforniaElections in CaliforniaElections in California are held to fill various state and federal seats. In California, regular elections are held every even year , however the seats being decided each year varies, as the terms of office for certain seats varies. Special elections are also held to fill certain seats at other...
- Districts in CaliforniaDistricts in CaliforniaThere are several different types of districts in California. The U.S. state of California is geographically divided into various districts for political and administrative purposes.-Congressional Districts:...
External links
- California Elections and Voter Information from the California Secretary of State
- Candidates for California State Offices at Project Vote SmartProject Vote SmartProject Vote Smart is a non-profit, non-partisan research organization that collects and distributes information on candidates for public office in the United States...
- California Polls at Pollster.com
- California at Rasmussen ReportsRasmussen ReportsRasmussen Reports is an American media company that publishes and distributes information based on public opinion polling. Founded by pollster Scott Rasmussen in 2003, the company updates daily indexes including the President's job approval rating, and provides public opinion data, analysis, and...
- California Congressional Races in 2010 campaign finance data from OpenSecrets.orgCenter for Responsive PoliticsThe Center for Responsive Politics is a non-profit, nonpartisan research group based in Washington, D.C. that tracks money in politics and the effect of money and lobbying activity on elections and public policy and maintains a public online database of its information.Their database...
- California 2010 campaign finance data from Follow the Money
- Elections 2010 at the San Jose Mercury NewsSan Jose Mercury NewsThe San Jose Mercury News is a daily newspaper in San Jose, California. On its web site, however, it calls itself Silicon Valley Mercury News. The paper is owned by MediaNews Group...