2016 United States Senate election in California
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The 2016 United States Senate election in California was held on November 8, 2016, to elect a member of the United States Senate to represent the State of California, concurrently with the 2016 U.S. presidential election, as well as elections to the United States Senate in other states and elections to the United States House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
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November 8, 2016
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   Harris: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% Sanchez: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% 90–100% | ||||||||||||||||
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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. In the California system, the top two finishers, regardless of party, advance to the general election in November, even if a candidate receives a majority of the vote in the primary election. Washington State and Louisiana have similar nonpartisan primary style processes for senators, though Louisiana will end its jungle system for specific offices including senator in 2026.
Incumbent Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer decided to not run for election to a fifth term.[1]
This was the first open seat Senate election in California since 1992, when Boxer was first elected.[2] In the primary on June 7, 2016, California Attorney General Kamala Harris and U.S. Representative Loretta Sanchez, both Democrats, finished in first and second place, respectively, and contested the general election. For the first time since direct elections to the Senate were mandated after the passage of the Seventeenth Amendment in 1913, no Republican appeared on the general election ballot for the U.S. Senate in California. The highest Republican finisher in the primary won only 7.8 percent of the vote, and the 10 Republicans only won 27.9 percent of the vote among them.[3]
In the general election, Harris defeated Sanchez in a landslide, carrying 54 of the state's 58 counties, including Sanchez's home county of Orange, although Sanchez held Harris to a margin of less than 1% in the Central Valley counties of Kern and Merced.
Harris did not serve her full term in the Senate, as she resigned on January 18, 2021 after being elected Vice President of the United States in 2020. Governor Gavin Newsom appointed Alex Padilla, the incumbent Secretary of State of California, to serve the rest of her term.
Background
Barbara Boxer was reelected with 52.1% of the vote in 2010 against Republican Carly Fiorina. Toward the end of 2014, Boxer's low fundraising and cash-on-hand numbers led to speculation that she would retire.[4][5] On January 8, 2015, she announced that she would not run for reelection.[1]
Candidates
Democratic Party
Advanced to general
- Kamala Harris, Attorney General of California[6]
- Loretta Sanchez, U.S. representative[7]
Eliminated in primary
Withdrew
Declined
- Xavier Becerra, U.S. representative and candidate for Mayor of Los Angeles in 2001[14]
- Ami Bera, U.S. representative[15]
- Barbara Boxer, incumbent U.S. senator[1]
- Julia Brownley, U.S. representative[15]
- Louis Caldera, former director of the White House Military Office, former United States Secretary of the Army and former state assemblyman[16]
- Tony Cárdenas, U.S. representative[17][18]
- John Chiang, California State Treasurer, former California State Controller and former member of the State Board of Equalization[19]
- Kevin de León, President pro tempore of the California State Senate[20]
- John Garamendi, U.S. representative, former lieutenant governor of California, former California Insurance Commissioner and former Deputy Secretary of the Interior[21][22]
- Eric Garcetti, Mayor of Los Angeles[1][4][23]
- Jane Harman, director, president and CEO of the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars, former U.S. representative and candidate for the governorship in 1998[24][25]
- Jared Huffman, U.S. representative[26]
- Kevin Johnson, Mayor of Sacramento and former professional basketball player[27]
- Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San Jose[25][28]
- Bill Lockyer, former California State Treasurer and former Attorney General of California[29][30]
- Gloria Molina, former Los Angeles County Supervisor[17]
- Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, former United States Secretary of Homeland Security and former governor of Arizona[4]
- Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California and former Mayor of San Francisco (running for the governorship in 2018)[31]
- Alex Padilla, Secretary of State of California, former state senator and future U.S. senator for this seat[5][32]
- Raul Ruiz, U.S. representative[21][32][33]
- Linda Sánchez, U.S. representative[18][34]
- Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook[35]
- Adam Schiff, U.S. representative[36]
- Hilda Solis, Los Angeles County Supervisor, former United States Secretary of Labor and former U.S. representative[32]
- Jackie Speier, U.S. representative and candidate for the lieutenant governorship in 2006[32][37][38]
- Darrell Steinberg, former President pro tempore of the California State Senate[20][39]
- Tom Steyer, hedge fund manager, philanthropist and environmentalist[40]
- Eric Swalwell, U.S. representative[41]
- Mark Takano, U.S. representative[15]
- Ellen Tauscher, former Under Secretary of State for Arms Control and International Security Affairs and former U.S. representative[42]
- Antonio Villaraigosa, former Mayor of Los Angeles[23][43][44][45]
- Steve Westly, former California State Controller and candidate for the governorship in 2006[24][46] (running for the governorship in 2018)[47]
Endorsements
Kamala Harris
Federal politicians
- Karen Bass, U.S. representative (D-CA-37)[48]
- Ami Bera, U.S. representative (D-CA-7)[49]
- Joe Biden, Vice President of the United States[50]
- Cory Booker, U.S. senator (D-NJ)[51]
- Barbara Boxer, Outgoing U.S. senator (D-CA)[52]
- Mark DeSaulnier, U.S. representative (D-CA-11)[53]
- Dianne Feinstein, U.S. senator (D-CA)[52]
- Kirsten Gillibrand, U.S. senator (D-NY)[54]
- Mike Honda, U.S. representative (D-CA-17)[55]
- Jared Huffman, U.S. representative (D-CA-2)[26]
- Barbara Lee, U.S. representative (D-CA-13)[51]
- Jerry McNerney, U.S. representative (D-CA-9)[56]
- Barack Obama, President of the United States[50]
- Eric Swalwell, U.S. representative (D-CA-15)[41]
- Elizabeth Warren, U.S. senator (D-MA)[57]
State officials
- Toni Atkins, Speaker of the California State Assembly[58]
- Jerry Brown, Governor of California[59]
- Willie Brown, former Speaker of the California State Assembly and former mayor of San Francisco[19]
- Kevin de León, President pro tempore of the California State Senate[60]
- Ricardo Lara, California State Senator (D-33)[60]
- Fiona Ma, member of the California State Board of Equalization[61]
- Jose Medina, California State Assemblymember (D-61)[62]
- Gavin Newsom, Lieutenant Governor of California[63]
- John Pérez, former Speaker of the California State Assembly[64]
- Darrell Steinberg, former President pro tempore of the California State Senate[65]
- Betty Yee, California State Controller and former member of the State Board of Equalization[66]
Local officials
- Art Brown, Mayor of Buena Park[67]
- José Cisneros, Treasurer of San Francisco[68]
- Myrtle Cole, member of the San Diego City Council[60]
- Cynthia Conners, Mayor of Laguna Woods[67]
- Jan Flory, member of the Fullerton City Council[67]
- Robert Garcia, Mayor of Long Beach[69]
- Todd Gloria, member of the San Diego City Council
- Jill Hardy, Mayor of Huntington Beach[67]
- Dennis Herrera, City Attorney of San Francisco[70]
- Toni Iseman, member of the Laguna Beach City Council[67]
- Dave Jones, California Insurance Commissioner and former state assemblyman[71]
- Jackie Lacey, District Attorney of Los Angeles County[72]
- Ed Lee, Mayor of San Francisco[73]
- Sam Liccardo, Mayor of San Jose[28]
- Nancy O'Malley, District Attorney of Alameda County[74]
- Jeffrey Prang, Assessor of Los Angeles County[75]
- Lorraine Prinsky, President of the Coast Community College District Board of Trustees[67]
- Libby Schaaf, Mayor of Oakland[76]
- Steve Shanahan, member of the La Palma City Council[67]
- Arthur Torres, former chairman of the California Democratic Party[77]
- Carol Warren, member of the Stanton City Council[67]
- Herb Wesson, President of the Los Angeles City Council and former Speaker of the California State Assembly[78]
Organizations
- California Democratic Party[79]
- California Professional Firefighters[80]
- California Statewide Law Enforcement Association[81]
- EMILY's List[82]
- Los Angeles Police Protective League[83]
Loretta Sanchez
Federal politicians
- Pete Aguilar, U.S. representative (D-CA-31)[18]
- Tony Cárdenas, U.S. representative (D-CA-29)[18]
- Judy Chu, U.S. representative (D-CA-27)[84]
- Jim Costa, U.S. representative (D-CA-16)[85]
- Susan Davis, U.S. representative (D-CA-53)[18]
- Anna Eshoo, U.S. representative (D-CA-18)[85]
- Sam Farr, U.S. representative (D-CA-20)[85]
- Luis Gutierrez, U.S. representative (D-IL-4)[86]
- Janice Hahn, U.S. representative (D-CA-44)[18]
- Patrick J. Kennedy, former U.S. representative (D-RI)[87]
- Alan Lowenthal, U.S. representative (D-CA-47)[18]
- Buck McKeon, former U.S. representative (R-CA)[88]
- Grace Napolitano, U.S. representative (D-CA-32)[33]
- Scott Peters, U.S. representative (D-CA-52)[33]
- Lucille Roybal-Allard, U.S. representative (D-CA-40)[18]
- Raul Ruiz, U.S. representative (D-CA-36)[33]
- Linda Sánchez, U.S. representative (D-CA-38)[18]
- Mark Takano, U.S. representative (D-CA-41)[33]
- Norma Torres, U.S. representative (D-CA-35)[18]
- Juan Vargas, U.S. representative (D-CA-51)[18]
- Filemon Bartolome Vela Jr., U.S. representative (D-TX-34)[89]
- Nydia Velazquez, U.S. Representative (D-NY-7)
State officials
- Luis Alejo, California State Assemblymember (D-30)[90]
- Cruz Bustamante, former lieutenant governor of California[85]
- Ian Calderon, California State Assemblymember (D-57)[91]
- Lou Correa, former California State Senator[92]
- Denise Moreno Ducheny, former California State Senator[93]
- Cristina Garcia, California State Assemblymember (D-58)[91]
- Eduardo Garcia, California State Assemblymember (D-56)[91]
- Lorena Gonzalez, California State Assemblymember (D-80)[91]
- Ed Hernandez, California State Senator (D-22)[91]
- Patty López, California State Assemblymember (D-39)[91]
- Sharon Quirk-Silva, former California State Assemblymember[92]
- Sarah Reyes, former California State Assemblymember[85]
- Freddie Rodriguez, California State Assemblymember (D-52)[91]
Local officials
- David Alvarez, member of the San Diego City Council
- Jordan Brandman, member of the Anaheim City Council[92]
- David Cardenas, Mayor of Fowler[94]
- Fernando Dutra, Mayor of Whittier[95]
- Paul Koretz, member of the Los Angeles City Council[96]
- Victor Lopez, Mayor of Orange Cove[94]
- Victor Manalo, Mayor of Artesia[96]
- Cristian Markovich, Mayor of Cudahy[95]
- Kyle Miller, Mayor of La Habra[95]
- Jorge Morales, Mayor of South Gate[95]
- Daniel Parra, Mayor Pro Tem of Fowler and candidate for CA-21 in 2016[97]
- Jhonny Pineda, Mayor of Huntington Park[96]
- Miguel A. Pulido, Mayor of Santa Ana[92]
- Richard Riordan, former Mayor of Los Angeles[98]
- Scott Robertson, Mayor of Selma[94]
- Robert Silva, Mayor of Mendota[94]
- Rick Tuttle, former Los Angeles City Controller[99]
Organizations
Republican Party
Eliminated in primary
- Greg Conlon, businessman[8]
- Tom Del Beccaro, former chairman of the California Republican Party[103][104][105]
- Von Hougo, educator[106]
- Don Krampe, retiree and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 2012[107]
- Jerry J. Laws[8]
- Tom Palzer, former city planner[108]
- Karen Roseberry, educator[8]
- George "Duf" Sundheim, former chairman of the California Republican Party[103][109][110]
- Ron Unz, activist and candidate for governor in 1994[111]
- Jarrell Williamson, attorney[8]
- Phil Wyman, former state senator, former state assemblyman, candidate for CA-25 in 1992 and candidate for attorney general in 2014[112][113]
- George C. Yang, businessman[8]
Withdrew
- Rocky Chávez, state assemblyman (running for re-election)[114][115][116][117]
Declined
- Mary Bono, former U.S. representative[32]
- Tom Campbell, former U.S. representative, nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2000 and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1992 and 2010[118]
- Carl DeMaio, former San Diego City Council member, candidate for mayor of San Diego in 2012 and candidate for California's 52nd congressional district in 2014[119]
- Tim Donnelly, former state assemblyman, Minuteman founder and candidate for governor in 2014[29] (running for CA-08)
- David Dreier, former U.S. representative[120]
- Larry Elder, talk radio host and attorney[121]
- Kevin Faulconer, mayor of San Diego[122]
- Carly Fiorina, businesswoman and nominee for the U.S. Senate in 2010 (running for President)[2][4][123]
- Darrell Issa, U.S. representative and candidate for the U.S. Senate in 1998[4][124]
- Ernie Konnyu, former U.S. representative and former state assemblyman[125]
- Abel Maldonado, former lieutenant governor of California, candidate for California State Controller in 2006, for CA-24 in 2012 and for governor in 2014[17]
- Kevin McCarthy, U.S. representative and House Majority Leader[23][126]
- Doug Ose, former U.S. representative[20]
- Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University and candidate for Secretary of State of California in 2014[15][127]
- Steve Poizner, former California Insurance Commissioner and candidate for governor in 2010[25]
- Condoleezza Rice, former United States Secretary of State, former United States National Security Advisor and former provost of Stanford University[128]
- Ed Royce, U.S. representative[20][129]
- Arnold Schwarzenegger, actor and former governor of California[2][130]
- Ashley Swearengin, Mayor of Fresno and candidate for California State Controller in 2014[131]
- Meg Whitman, president and CEO of Hewlett-Packard and nominee for governor in 2010[2][25]
Endorsements
Rocky Chávez
State politicians
- Katcho Achadjian, State Assemblyman, former San Luis Obispo County Supervisor and candidate for CA-24 in 2016[132]
- Travis Allen, state assemblyman[132]
- Frank Bigelow, State Assemblyman and former Madera County Supervisor[132]
- Brian Dahle, State Assemblyman and former Lassen County Supervisor[132]
- Kevin Faulconer, mayor of San Diego[133]
- Beth Gaines, state assemblywoman[132]
- James Gallagher, State Assemblyman and former Sutter County Supervisor[132]
- David Hadley, state assemblyman[132]
- Matthew Harper, State Assemblyman and former Mayor of Huntington Beach[132]
- Neel Kashkari, former Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for Financial Stability and candidate for Governor of California in 2014[134]
- Young Kim, state assemblywoman[132]
- Tom Lackey, State Assemblyman and former Palmdale City Councilman[132]
- Eric Linder, state assemblyman[132]
- Brian Maienschein, State Assemblyman and former San Diego City Councilman[132]
- Devon Mathis, state assemblyman[132]
- Chad Mayes, State Assemblyman and former Yucca Valley Town Councilman[132]
- Melissa Melendez, State Assemblywoman and former Lake Elsinore City Councilwoman[132]
- Jay Obernolte, State Assemblyman and former Mayor of Big Bear Lake[132]
- Kristin Olsen, Minority Leader of the California State Assembly[132]
- Jim Patterson, State Assemblyman and former Mayor of Fresno[132]
- Marc Steinorth, State Assemblyman and former Rancho Cucamonga City Councilman[132]
- Don Wagner, state assemblyman[132]
- Marie Waldron, State Assemblywoman and former Escondido City Councilwoman[132]
- Scott Wilk, state assemblyman[132]
Organizations
- Deputy Sheriff's Association of San Diego County[135]
Duf Sundheim
Federal politicians
- Paul Cook, U.S. representative (R-CA)[136]
- Darrell Issa, U.S. representative (R-CA)[137]
- Kevin McCarthy, U.S. House Majority Leader (R-CA)[138]
- George Shultz, former U.S. Secretary of State[139]
- Mimi Walters, U.S. representative (R-CA)[140]
State politicians
- Gino Borgioli, Morgan Hill School Board member[140]
- Rocky Chávez, California State Assemblyman[141]
- Rex Bohn, Humboldt County Supervisor[140]
- Jean Fuller, California Senate Minority Leader[140]
- Johnny Khamis, San Jose City Councilman[140]
- Rich Kinney, Mayor of San Pablo[140]
- Ashley Swearengin, Mayor of Fresno[142]
- Acquanetta Warren, Mayor of Fontana[140]
Businesspeople
- John Chambers, Cisco Systems Executive Chairman[139]
Organizations
- California Small Business Association[140]
Tom Del Beccaro
Individuals
- Joel Anderson, California State Senator[143]
- Michael D. Antonovich, Los Angeles County Supervisor[144]
- Nathan Black, Sutter County Auditor-Controller[145]
- Ward Connerly, founder and chairman of the American Civil Rights Institute[146]
- Carl DeMaio, former San Diego City Council member[147]
- John C. Eastman, constitutional scholar[148]
- Rick Farinelli, Madera County Supervisor[145]
- Dan Flores, Sutter County Supervisor[145]
- Steve Forbes, former Republican presidential candidate and editor-in-chief of Forbes[149]
- Matthew Harper, California State Assemblyman[150]
- John S. Herrington, former U.S. Secretary of Energy[145]
- Larry Kudlow, economist and newspaper columnist[151]
- Arthur Laffer, economist[152]
- Marshall Long, Mariposa County Supervisor[145]
- Tom McClintock, U.S. representative (R-CA)[145]
- Jeff Miller, former California State Assemblyman[145]
- Stephen Moore, economics writer and founder and former president of Club for Growth[153]
- Walid Phares, Lebanese-born American professor at the National Defense University and Daniel Morgan Academy in Washington[154]
- Mary Piepho, Contra Costa County Supervisor[145]
- Anthony Ribera, former San Francisco Police Chief[155]
- George Runner, Member of the California State Board of Equalization[156]
- Sharon Runner, California state senator[156]
- Joseph Russoniello, former U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of California[150]
- Rick Santorum, former U.S. senator (R-PA)[157]
- Ben Shapiro, political commentator and author[158]
- Bill Simon, Republican Party nominee for Governor of California in 2002[159]
- Ron Sullenger, Sutter County Supervisor[145]
- Paul E. Vallely, retired US Army major general[160]
- Ignacio Velazquez, Mayor of Hollister[145]
Organizations
- American Independent Party[79]
- California Republican Assembly[161]
- Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association[162]
Green Party
Declared
- Pamela Elizondo[8]
Libertarian Party
Declared
- Mark Matthew Herd, community organizer[8]
- Gail Lightfoot, retired nurse and perennial candidate[8]
Peace and Freedom Party
Declared
- John Thompson Parker[8]
Independent
Declared
- Mikelis Beitiks, climate change activist[163]
- Eleanor Garcia, factory worker[8]
- Tim Gildersleeve[8]
- Clive Grey[8]
- Don Grundmann, chiropractor, chairman of the Constitution Party of California, and perennial candidate[8] (also sought the Constitution Party nomination for President of the United States)
- Jason Hanania, attorney and engineer[8]
- Jason Kraus[8]
- Paul Merritt[8]
- Gar Myers[8]
- Ling Ling Shi, author[8]
- Scott A. Vineberg[8]
Declined
- Angelina Jolie, actress, filmmaker and former Goodwill Ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees[164][165]
Primary election
Fundraising
The following are Federal Election Commission disclosures through the reporting period ending March 31, 2016.
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamala Harris (D) | $9,749,024 | $4,759,048 | $4,989,977 | $78,900 |
| Loretta Sánchez (D) | $3,251,186 | $921,291 | $2,329,895 | $209,217 |
| Tom Del Beccaro (R) | $316,560 | $238,612 | $77,946 | $74,465 |
| George 'Duf' Sundheim (R) | $532,638 | $475,415 | $57,222 | $181,640 |
| Phillip Wyman (R) | $48,900 | $11,761 | $30,737 | $40,000 |
| Clive Grey (NPP) | $38,916 | $21,554 | $17,361 | $25,000 |
| Greg Conlon (R) | $21,205 | $13,396 | $7,809 | $9,575 |
| Mike Beitiks (NPP) | $6,305 | $4,860 | $1,444 | $0 |
| Steve Stokes (D) | $4,864 | $4,351 | $762 | $4,742 |
| Emory Rodgers (D) | $7,246 | $6,988 | $290 | $0 |
| Tom Palzer (R) | $2,783 | $2,442 | $241 | $0 |
Polling
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Tom Del Beccaro (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Loretta Sánchez (D) |
Duf Sundheim (R) |
Ron Unz (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Marist College[166] | May 29–31, 2016 | 2,485 | ± 2.3% | 8% | 37% | 19% | 5% | 5% | 3% | 24% |
| The Field Poll[167] | May 26–31, 2016 | 1,002 | ± 3.1% | 4% | 30% | 14% | 3% | 3% | 19% | 27% |
| Public Policy Institute of California[168] | May 13–22, 2016 | 996 | ± 4.3% | 8% | 27% | 19% | 3% | 6% | — | 22% |
| SurveyUSA[169] | May 19–22, 2016 | 1,416 | ± 2.7% | 9% | 31% | 22% | 9% | 7% | 7% | 15% |
| Public Policy Institute of California[170] | May 13–22, 2016 | 996 | ± 4.3% | 8% | 27% | 19% | 3% | 6% | 6% | 31% |
| Hoover Institution[171] | May 4–16, 2016 | 1,196 | – | 6% | 26% | 13% | 6% | 6% | – | 43% |
| SurveyUSA[172] | April 27–30, 2016 | 2,400 | ± 2.6% | 10% | 29% | 18% | 7% | 8% | 6% | 22% |
| SurveyUSA[173] | March 30 – April 3, 2016 | 1,269 | ± 2.8% | 8% | 26% | 22% | 5% | – | 7% | 24% |
| The Field Poll[174] | March 24 – April 4, 2016 | 1,400 | ± 3.2% | 4% | 27% | 14% | 2% | 5% | – | 48% |
| Los Angeles Times[175] | March 16–23, 2016 | 691 | – | 10% | 33% | 15% | 8% | – | – | 34% |
| Public Policy Institute of California[176] | March 6–15, 2016 | 1,710 | ± 3.6% | 9% | 26% | 17% | 6% | – | 11% | 31% |
| The Field Poll[177] | December 15, 2015 – January 3, 2016 | 730 | ± 3.6% | 3% | 27% | 15% | 3% | – | 1% | 44% |
| The Field Poll[178] | September 17 – October 4, 2015 | 694 | ± 4.3% | 6% | 30% | 17% | 3% | – | 1% | 34% |
| Los Angeles Times[179] | August 29 – September 8, 2015 | 1,500 | ± 2.8% | 10% | 26% | 17% | – | – | – | 35% |
| The Field Poll[180] | April 23 – May 16, 2015 | 801 | ± 3.5% | 5% | 19% | 8% | 1% | – | – | 58% |
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Rocky Chavez (R) |
David Dreier (R) |
John Estrada (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Adam Schiff (D) |
Ashley Swearengin (R) |
Meg Whitman (R) |
Other | Unde- cided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Emerson College[181] | April 2–8, 2015 | 881 | ± 3.2% | 9% | 1% | 1% | 23% | 2% | 4% | 13% | 7% | 41% |
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Mary Bono (R) |
David Dreier (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Adam Schiff (D) |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[184][185][186] | February 6–8, 2015 | 824 | ± ? | 14% | 19% | 34% | 4% | 16% | 14% |
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Xavier Becerra (D) |
Rocky Chavez (R) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Condoleezza Rice (R) |
Loretta Sanchez (D) |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[191][192] | January 22, 2015 | 627 | ± ? | 3% | 2% | 34% | 33% | 4% | 9% | 15% |
| Poll source |
Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Eric Garcetti (D) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Neel Kashkari (R) |
Tom McClintock (R) |
Linda Sánchez (D) |
Jackie Speier (D) |
Tom Steyer (D) |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling (D)[193][194] | December 29–30, 2014 | 401 | ± ? | 7% | 27% | 12% | 28% | 6% | — | 6% | 14% |
| 468 | — | 22% | 12% | 29% | 8% | 8% | 4% | 17% |
Results
Harris
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
- 40–50%
- 50–60%
- 60–70%
- 70–80%
Sanchez
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
- 30–40%
Wyman
- 10–20%
- 20–30%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kamala Harris | 3,000,689 | 37.9% | |
| Democratic | Loretta Sanchez | 1,416,203 | 17.9% | |
| Republican | Duf Sundheim | 584,251 | 7.8% | |
| Republican | Phil Wyman | 352,821 | 4.7% | |
| Republican | Tom Del Beccaro | 323,614 | 4.3% | |
| Republican | Greg Conlon | 230,944 | 3.1% | |
| Democratic | Steve Stokes | 168,805 | 2.2% | |
| Republican | George C. Yang | 112,055 | 1.5% | |
| Republican | Karen Roseberry | 110,557 | 1.5% | |
| Libertarian | Gail K. Lightfoot | 99,761 | 1.3% | |
| Democratic | Massie Munroe | 98,150 | 1.3% | |
| Green | Pamela Elizondo | 95,677 | 1.3% | |
| Republican | Tom Palzer | 93,263 | 1.2% | |
| Republican | Ron Unz | 92,325 | 1.2% | |
| Republican | Don Krampe | 69,635 | 0.9% | |
| No party preference | Eleanor García | 65,084 | 0.9% | |
| Republican | Jarrell Williamson | 64,120 | 0.9% | |
| Republican | Von Hougo | 63,609 | 0.8% | |
| Democratic | President Cristina Grappo | 63,330 | 0.8% | |
| Republican | Jerry J. Laws | 53,023 | 0.7% | |
| Libertarian | Mark Matthew Herd | 41,344 | 0.6% | |
| Peace and Freedom | John Thompson Parker | 35,998 | 0.5% | |
| No party preference | Ling Ling Shi | 35,196 | 0.5% | |
| Democratic | Herbert G. Peters | 32,638 | 0.4% | |
| Democratic | Emory Peretz Rodgers | 31,485 | 0.4% | |
| No party preference | Mike Beitiks | 31,450 | 0.4% | |
| No party preference | Clive Grey | 29,418 | 0.4% | |
| No party preference | Jason Hanania | 27,715 | 0.4% | |
| No party preference | Paul Merritt | 24,031 | 0.3% | |
| No party preference | Jason Kraus | 19,318 | 0.3% | |
| No party preference | Don J. Grundmann | 15,317 | 0.2% | |
| No party preference | Scott A. Vineberg | 11,843 | 0.2% | |
| No party preference | Tim Gildersleeve | 9,798 | 0.1% | |
| No party preference | Gar Myers | 8,726 | 0.1% | |
| Republican | Billy Falling (write-in) | 87 | 0.0% | |
| No party preference | Ric M. Llewellyn (write-in) | 32 | 0.0% | |
| Republican | Alexis Stuart (write-in) | 10 | 0.0% | |
| Total votes | 7,512,322 | 100.0% | ||
General election
Fundraising
The following are Federal Election Commission disclosures through the reporting period ending March 31, 2016.
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kamala Harris (D) | $9,749,024 | $4,759,048 | $4,989,977 | $78,900 |
| Loretta Sánchez (D) | $3,251,186 | $921,291 | $2,329,895 | $209,217 |
Debates
| Dates | Location | Harris | Sanchez | Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| October 9, 2016 | Cal State LA, Los Angeles, California | Participant | Participant | [196] |
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[197] | Safe D (Harris) | September 9, 2016 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[198] | Safe D (Harris) | September 19, 2016 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[199] | Safe D (Harris) | September 2, 2016 |
| Daily Kos[200] | Safe D (Harris) | September 16, 2016 |
| Real Clear Politics[201] | Safe D (Harris) | September 15, 2016 |
Polling
View source data.
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Loretta Sánchez (D) |
Would not vote |
Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyMonkey[202] | November 1–7, 2016 | 2,712 | ± 4.6% | 52% | 31% | — | 17% |
| Insights West[203] | November 4–6, 2016 | 401 | ± 4.9% | 50% | 28% | — | 22% |
| SurveyMonkey[204] | Oct 31 – Nov 6, 2016 | 2,655 | ± 4.6% | 51% | 32% | — | 17% |
| SurveyMonkey[205] | Oct 28 – Nov 3, 2016 | 2,528 | ± 4.6% | 51% | 31% | — | 18% |
| SurveyMonkey[206] | Oct 27 – Nov 2, 2016 | 2,316 | ± 4.6% | 51% | 31% | — | 18% |
| SurveyMonkey[207] | Oct 26 – Nov 1, 2016 | 2,284 | ± 4.6% | 51% | 30% | — | 19% |
| SurveyUSA[208] | October 28–31, 2016 | 747 | ± 3.7% | 47% | 27% | — | 26% |
| SurveyMonkey[209] | October 25–31, 2016 | 2,505 | ± 4.6% | 50% | 30% | — | 20% |
| The Field Poll[210] | October 25–31, 2016 | 1,498 | ± 3.2% | 47% | 23% | 13% | 17% |
| USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times[211] | October 22–30, 2016 | 697 | ± 3.7% | 48% | 31% | 9% | 12% |
| PPIC Statewide Survey[212] | October 14–23, 2016 | 1,024 | ± 4.3% | 42% | 20% | 18% | 20% |
| SurveyUSA[213] | October 13–15, 2016 | 725 | ± 3.7% | 45% | 24% | — | 31% |
| Hoover Institution – Golden State Poll[214] | October 4–14, 2016 | 1,228 | ± 3.3% | 41% | 22% | — | 37% |
| Sacramento State/CA Counts[215] | October 7–13, 2016 | 622 | ± 7.0% | 49% | 24% | 7% | 20% |
| SurveyUSA[216] | September 27–28, 2016 | 751 | ± 3.6% | 40% | 29% | — | 31% |
| PPIC Statewide Survey[217] | September 9–18, 2016 | 1,702 | ± 3.5% | 32% | 25% | 24% | 19% |
| Insights West[218] | September 12–14, 2016 | 515 | ± 4.3% | 42% | 28% | 3% | 28% |
| The Field Poll[219] | September 7–13, 2016 | 1,426 | ± 3.2% | 42% | 20% | 12% | 26% |
| SurveyUSA[220] | September 8–11, 2016 | 712 | ± 3.7% | 44% | 27% | — | 29% |
| SurveyMonkey USC/Los Angeles Times[221] | September 1–8, 2016 | 4,212 | ± 2.0% | 30% | 16% | 16% | 38% |
| Sacramento State/CA Counts[222] | August 15–24, 2016 | 915 | ± 4.0% | 51% | 19% | 6% | 25% |
| SmithJohnson Research[223] | August 17–19, 2016 | 500 | ± 4.4% | 41% | 15% | 8% | 36% |
| PPIC Statewide Survey[224] | July 10–19, 2016 | 1,056 | ± 3.5% | 38% | 20% | 28% | 14% |
| The Field Poll[225] | June 8 – July 2, 2016 | 956 | ± 3.2% | 39% | 24% | 15% | 22% |
| SurveyMonkey USC/Los Angeles Times[226] | June 9–10, 2016 | 1,553 | ± 3.5% | 47% | 22% | 26% | 5% |
| The Field Poll[227] | May 26–31, 2016 | 1,002 | ± 3.1% | 40% | 26% | 14% | 20% |
| PPIC Statewide Survey[228] | May 13–22, 2016 | 996 | ± 4.3% | 34% | 26% | 24% | 15% |
| Gravis Marketing[229] | April 7–10, 2016 | 2,088 | ± 2.1% | 29% | 19% | — | 52% |
Hypothetical polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kamala Harris (D) |
David Dreier (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[230][185][186] | February 6–8, 2015 | 824 | ± ? | 47% | 42% | — | 10% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Eric Garcetti (D) |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[231][194] | December 29–30, 2014 | 869 | ± ? | 20% | 35% | — | 46% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Kamala Harris (D) |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| USC[182] | February 18–24, 2015 | 1,505 | ± 2.7% | 45% | 27% | 3% | 24% |
| Public Policy Polling[230][185][186] | February 6–8, 2015 | 824 | ± ? | 45% | 23% | — | 33% |
| Public Policy Polling[232][192] | January 22, 2015 | 627 | ± ? | 41% | 16% | — | 43% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Adam Schiff (D) |
David Dreier (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[230][185][186] | February 6–8, 2015 | 824 | ± ? | 43% | 42% | — | 15% |
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Antonio Villaraigosa (D) |
David Dreier (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Public Policy Polling[230][185][186] | February 6–8, 2015 | 824 | ± ? | 46% | 44% | — | 10% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kamala Harris | 7,542,753 | 61.60% | ||
| Democratic | Loretta Sanchez | 4,701,417 | 38.40% | ||
| Total votes | 12,244,170 | 100.00% | |||
| Democratic hold | |||||
By county
Blue represents counties won by Harris. Cyan represents counties won by Sanchez.[234]
| County | Harris # | Harris % | Sanchez # | Sanchez % | Margin # | Margin % | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alameda | 443,536 | 75.47 | 144,134 | 24.53 | 299,302 | 50.93 | 587,670 |
| Alpine | 342 | 72.00 | 133 | 28.00 | 209 | 44.00 | 475 |
| Amador | 8,690 | 64.08 | 4,872 | 35.92 | 3,818 | 28.15 | 13,562 |
| Butte | 43,491 | 58.64 | 30,680 | 41.36 | 12,811 | 17.27 | 74,171 |
| Calaveras | 11,259 | 64.11 | 6,302 | 35.89 | 4,957 | 28.23 | 17,561 |
| Colusa | 2,639 | 51.33 | 2,502 | 48.67 | 137 | 2.66 | 5,141 |
| Contra Costa | 282,587 | 69.38 | 124,731 | 30.62 | 157,856 | 38.75 | 407,318 |
| Del Norte | 4,603 | 61.03 | 2,939 | 38.97 | 1,664 | 22.06 | 7,542 |
| El Dorado | 45,671 | 63.36 | 26,408 | 36.64 | 19,263 | 26.72 | 72,079 |
| Fresno | 117,956 | 49.96 | 118,148 | 50.04 | -192 | -0.08 | 236,104 |
| Glenn | 3,423 | 47.44 | 3,793 | 52.56 | -370 | -5.13 | 7,216 |
| Humboldt | 32,729 | 66.79 | 16,277 | 33.21 | 16,452 | 33.57 | 49,006 |
| Imperial | 13,975 | 32.62 | 28,872 | 67.38 | -14,897 | -34.77 | 42,847 |
| Inyo | 3,863 | 63.11 | 2,258 | 36.89 | 1,605 | 26.22 | 6,121 |
| Kern | 98,526 | 50.21 | 97,689 | 49.79 | 837 | 0.43 | 196,215 |
| Kings | 14,655 | 52.69 | 13,158 | 47.31 | 1,497 | 5.38 | 27,813 |
| Lake | 13,188 | 65.32 | 7,003 | 34.68 | 6,185 | 30.63 | 20,191 |
| Lassen | 4,151 | 56.27 | 3,226 | 43.73 | 925 | 12.54 | 7,377 |
| Los Angeles | 1,895,675 | 60.88 | 1,218,236 | 39.12 | 677,439 | 21.76 | 3,113,911 |
| Madera | 16,769 | 48.85 | 17,562 | 51.15 | -793 | -2.31 | 34,331 |
| Marin | 98,196 | 78.37 | 27,101 | 21.63 | 71,095 | 56.74 | 125,297 |
| Mariposa | 4,134 | 62.14 | 2,519 | 37.86 | 1,615 | 24.27 | 6,653 |
| Mendocino | 22,335 | 70.02 | 9,564 | 29.98 | 12,771 | 40.04 | 31,899 |
| Merced | 30,172 | 50.28 | 29,835 | 49.72 | 337 | 0.56 | 60,007 |
| Modoc | 1,531 | 59.46 | 1,044 | 40.54 | 487 | 18.91 | 2,575 |
| Mono | 2,611 | 62.14 | 1,591 | 37.86 | 1,020 | 24.27 | 4,202 |
| Monterey | 77,659 | 64.33 | 43,060 | 35.67 | 34,599 | 28.66 | 120,719 |
| Napa | 35,925 | 66.90 | 17,778 | 33.10 | 18,147 | 33.79 | 53,703 |
| Nevada | 29,639 | 68.98 | 13,329 | 31.02 | 16,310 | 37.96 | 42,968 |
| Orange | 555,459 | 53.29 | 486,783 | 46.71 | 68,676 | 6.59 | 1,042,242 |
| Placer | 89,687 | 63.21 | 52,192 | 36.79 | 37,495 | 26.43 | 141,879 |
| Plumas | 4,606 | 65.58 | 2,418 | 34.42 | 2,188 | 31.15 | 7,024 |
| Riverside | 339,497 | 54.68 | 281,437 | 45.32 | 58,060 | 9.35 | 620,934 |
| Sacramento | 312,038 | 65.87 | 161,673 | 34.13 | 150,365 | 31.74 | 473,711 |
| San Benito | 11,151 | 59.57 | 7,568 | 40.43 | 3,583 | 19.14 | 18,719 |
| San Bernardino | 300,738 | 54.48 | 251,246 | 45.52 | 49,492 | 8.97 | 551,984 |
| San Diego | 625,843 | 58.39 | 446,063 | 41.61 | 179,780 | 16.77 | 1,071,906 |
| San Francisco | 286,723 | 77.98 | 80,985 | 22.02 | 205,738 | 55.95 | 367,708 |
| San Joaquin | 111,563 | 57.85 | 81,295 | 42.15 | 30,268 | 15.69 | 192,858 |
| San Luis Obispo | 69,190 | 64.88 | 37,455 | 35.12 | 31,735 | 29.76 | 106,645 |
| San Mateo | 199,956 | 71.15 | 81,090 | 28.85 | 118,866 | 42.29 | 281,046 |
| Santa Barbara | 88,861 | 59.30 | 60,995 | 40.70 | 27,866 | 18.60 | 149,856 |
| Santa Clara | 411,765 | 66.51 | 207,380 | 33.49 | 204,385 | 33.01 | 619,145 |
| Santa Cruz | 81,443 | 71.34 | 32,720 | 28.66 | 48,723 | 42.68 | 114,163 |
| Shasta | 31,877 | 56.67 | 24,369 | 43.33 | 7,508 | 13.35 | 56,246 |
| Sierra | 826 | 65.14 | 442 | 34.86 | 384 | 30.28 | 1,268 |
| Siskiyou | 8,744 | 57.52 | 6,457 | 42.48 | 2,287 | 15.05 | 15,201 |
| Solano | 97,410 | 66.43 | 49,229 | 33.57 | 48,181 | 32.86 | 146,639 |
| Sonoma | 147,532 | 72.99 | 54,600 | 27.01 | 92,932 | 45.98 | 202,132 |
| Stanislaus | 80,502 | 56.80 | 61,219 | 43.20 | 19,283 | 13.61 | 141,721 |
| Sutter | 15,191 | 56.49 | 11,700 | 43.51 | 3,491 | 12.98 | 26,891 |
| Tehama | 9,456 | 54.20 | 7,991 | 45.80 | 1,465 | 8.40 | 17,447 |
| Trinity | 2,696 | 60.03 | 1,795 | 39.97 | 901 | 20.06 | 4,491 |
| Tulare | 47,145 | 51.70 | 44,044 | 48.30 | 3,101 | 3.40 | 91,189 |
| Tuolumne | 12,239 | 65.86 | 6,345 | 34.14 | 5,894 | 31.72 | 18,584 |
| Ventura | 181,785 | 61.05 | 115,964 | 38.95 | 65,821 | 22.11 | 297,749 |
| Yolo | 48,901 | 67.61 | 23,429 | 32.39 | 25,472 | 35.22 | 72,330 |
| Yuba | 9,999 | 56.21 | 7,789 | 43.79 | 2,210 | 12.42 | 17,788 |
| Totals | 7,542,753 | 61.60 | 4,701,417 | 38.40 | 2,841,336 | 23.21 | 12,244,170 |
By congressional district
Harris won 47 of the 53 congressional districts, including thirteen held by Republicans. Sanchez won six, including one held by a Republican.[235]
Analysis
This election was the first and as of August 2025, the only US Senate election where two Democratic women of color faced off against one another in a general election. It is also one of only two United States Senate elections in California where both general election candidates were Democrats, the other being the election between former Senator Dianne Feinstein and then-California State Senator Kevin de León in 2018.
Later on after her subsequent victory in the 2020 election as the running mate of former President Joe Biden, Harris resigned on the senate on January 18, 2021, two days before her inauguration as vice president. This makes Harris the first US senator elected to a full six-year term since Barack Obama in 2008 to not finish what would be her sole term. On December 22, 2020, California governor Gavin Newsom appointed California secretary of state Alex Padilla to serve the remainder of Harris' term.[236] Despite this, Harris became president of the Senate on January 20, 2021, by virtue of her election as vice president.
Harris is the second incumbent US senator from this seat to be elected vice president, the first being Richard Nixon in 1952.