| Field | Value |
|---|
| election_name | 1954 California gubernatorial election |
| country | California |
| type | presidential |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 1950 California gubernatorial election |
| previous_year | 1950 |
| next_election | 1958 California gubernatorial election |
| next_year | 1958 |
| election_date | November 2, 1954 |
| image1 | Goodwin J. Knight, 31st Governor of California Crop Edit.jpg |
| nominee1 | Goodwin Knight |
| party1 | Republican Party (United States) |
| popular_vote1 | 2,290,519 |
| percentage1 | 56.83% |
| image2 | Richard Graves 1954 Edit.jpg |
| nominee2 | Richard Graves |
| party2 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| popular_vote2 | 1,739,368 |
| percentage2 | 43.16% |
| map_image | 1954 California gubernatorial election results map by county.svg |
| map_size | 300px |
| map_caption | County results |
|
| title | Governor |
| before_election | Goodwin Knight |
| before_party | Republican Party (United States) |
| after_election | Goodwin Knight |
| after_party | Republican Party (United States) |
Knight:
Graves:
The 1954 California gubernatorial election was held on November 2, 1954. Incumbent Republican governor Goodwin Knight, who had ascended to the office after Earl Warren resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States the previous year, won a full term against Democrat Richard Graves.
Graves was the first Democratic nominee for governor to carry Yolo County since 1910; since 1954 it has been won by the Democratic nominee in all but three elections. Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to date to carry San Francisco.
Primary elections
Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.
Democratic primary
Candidates
- Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities
- Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor (cross-filing)
- Roderick J. Wilson
Results
Republican primary
Candidates
- Cornell L. Gabrish
- Richard P. Graves, former director of the League of California Cities (cross-filing)
- Goodwin J. Knight, incumbent Governor
Results
Independent–Progressive primary
Candidates
- Cornell L. Galbrish (cross-filing)
Results
Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.
General election results
Results by county
| County | Goodwin J. Knight |
|---|
| Republican | Richard P. Graves |
| Democratic | Scattering |
| Write-in | Margin | Total votes cast | # | % | # | % | # | % | # | % | Total | 2,290,519 | 56.83% | 1,739,368 | 43.16% | 481 | 0.01% | 551,151 | 13.67% | 4,030,368 |
| Alameda | | 143,007 | | 49.93% | | 143,350 | | 50.05% | | 52 | | 0.02% | | -343 | | -0.12% | | 286,409 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Alpine | | 110 | | 80.88% | | 26 | | 19.12% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 84 | | 61.76% | | 136 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Amador | | 1,964 | | 45.86% | | 2,319 | | 54.14% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -355 | | -8.29% | | 4,283 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Butte | | 14,390 | | 58.92% | | 10,035 | | 41.08% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 4,355 | | 17.83% | | 24,425 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Calaveras | | 2,574 | | 53.64% | | 2,225 | | 46.36% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 349 | | 7.27% | | 4,799 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Colusa | | 2,337 | | 57.76% | | 1,709 | | 42.24% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 628 | | 15.52% | | 4,046 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Contra Costa | | 58,340 | | 51.61% | | 54,681 | | 48.37% | | 15 | | 0.01% | | 3,659 | | 3.24% | | 113,036 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Del Norte | | 2,584 | | 64.86% | | 1,400 | | 35.14% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,184 | | 29.72% | | 3,984 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| El Dorado | | 3,968 | | 54.87% | | 3,264 | | 45.13% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 704 | | 9.73% | | 7,232 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Fresno | | 44,581 | | 49.12% | | 46,168 | | 50.87% | | 2 | | 0.00% | | -1,587 | | -1.75% | | 90,751 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Glenn | | 3,197 | | 57.45% | | 2,368 | | 42.55% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 829 | | 14.90% | | 5,565 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Humboldt | | 16,324 | | 63.39% | | 9,426 | | 36.61% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 6,898 | | 26.79% | | 25,750 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Imperial | | 7,664 | | 58.25% | | 5,494 | | 41.75% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 2,170 | | 16.49% | | 13,158 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Inyo | | 2,662 | | 66.45% | | 1,344 | | 33.55% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,318 | | 32.90% | | 4,006 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kern | | 35,301 | | 51.69% | | 32,997 | | 48.31% | | 1 | | 0.00% | | 2,304 | | 3.37% | | 68,299 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Kings | | 5,070 | | 42.75% | | 6,789 | | 57.25% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -1,719 | | -14.50% | | 11,859 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lake | | 3,409 | | 64.98% | | 1,837 | | 35.02% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,572 | | 29.97% | | 5,246 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Lassen | | 2,597 | | 45.30% | | 3,136 | | 54.70% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -539 | | -9.40% | | 5,733 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Los Angeles | | 950,611 | | 57.31% | | 707,734 | | 42.67% | | 303 | | 0.02% | | 242,877 | | 14.64% | | 1,658,648 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Madera | | 5,147 | | 46.94% | | 5,817 | | 53.06% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -670 | | -6.11% | | 10,964 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Marin | | 23,830 | | 64.01% | | 13,392 | | 35.97% | | 4 | | 0.01% | | 10,438 | | 28.04% | | 37,226 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mariposa | | 1,405 | | 60.80% | | 906 | | 39.20% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 499 | | 21.59% | | 2,311 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mendocino | | 9,146 | | 59.94% | | 6,111 | | 40.05% | | 1 | | 0.01% | | 3,035 | | 19.89% | | 15,258 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Merced | | 9,924 | | 48.46% | | 10,553 | | 51.53% | | 1 | | 0.00% | | -629 | | -3.07% | | 20,478 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Modoc | | 1,763 | | 54.70% | | 1,460 | | 45.30% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 303 | | 9.40% | | 3,223 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Mono | | 602 | | 76.20% | | 188 | | 23.80% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 414 | | 52.41% | | 790 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Monterey | | 22,593 | | 59.45% | | 15,411 | | 40.55% | | 2 | | 0.01% | | 7,182 | | 18.90% | | 38,006 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Napa | | 10,992 | | 60.59% | | 7,149 | | 39.41% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 3,843 | | 21.18% | | 18,141 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Nevada | | 4,376 | | 57.13% | | 3,284 | | 42.87% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,092 | | 14.26% | | 7,660 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Orange | | 63,148 | | 69.65% | | 27,511 | | 30.34% | | 7 | | 0.01% | | 35,637 | | 39.31% | | 90,666 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Placer | | 7,459 | | 46.97% | | 8,420 | | 53.03% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -961 | | -6.05% | | 15,879 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Plumas | | 2,053 | | 43.50% | | 2,667 | | 56.50% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -614 | | -13.01% | | 4,720 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Riverside | | 39,047 | | 63.22% | | 22,706 | | 36.77% | | 6 | | 0.01% | | 16,341 | | 26.46% | | 61,759 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sacramento | | 55,277 | | 49.61% | | 56,137 | | 50.38% | | 12 | | 0.01% | | -860 | | -0.77% | | 111,426 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Benito | | 2,911 | | 64.86% | | 1,577 | | 35.14% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,334 | | 29.72% | | 4,488 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Bernardino | | 60,417 | | 58.39% | | 43,058 | | 41.61% | | 5 | | 0.00% | | 17,359 | | 16.78% | | 103,480 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Diego | | 139,769 | | 64.23% | | 77,817 | | 35.76% | | 6 | | 0.00% | | 61,952 | | 28.47% | | 217,592 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Francisco | | 151,458 | | 55.97% | | 119,138 | | 44.03% | | 13 | | 0.00% | | 32,320 | | 11.94% | | 270,609 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Joaquin | | 36,111 | | 55.99% | | 28,384 | | 44.01% | | 6 | | 0.01% | | 7,727 | | 11.98% | | 64,501 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Luis Obispo | | 12,808 | | 58.34% | | 9,145 | | 41.65% | | 2 | | 0.01% | | 3,663 | | 16.68% | | 21,955 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| San Mateo | | 71,440 | | 63.02% | | 41,910 | | 36.97% | | 13 | | 0.01% | | 29,530 | | 26.05% | | 113,363 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Santa Barbara | | 23,368 | | 62.63% | | 13,941 | | 37.36% | | 2 | | 0.01% | | 9,427 | | 25.27% | | 37,311 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Santa Clara | | 72,695 | | 58.25% | | 52,088 | | 41.74% | | 9 | | 0.01% | | 20,607 | | 16.51% | | 124,792 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Santa Cruz | | 19,008 | | 64.17% | | 10,613 | | 35.83% | | 1 | | 0.00% | | 8,395 | | 28.34% | | 29,622 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Shasta | | 6,582 | | 44.69% | | 8,144 | | 55.30% | | 1 | | 0.01% | | -1,560 | | -10.61% | | 14,727 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sierra | | 579 | | 49.15% | | 599 | | 50.85% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -20 | | -1.70% | | 1,178 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Siskiyou | | 6,019 | | 52.72% | | 5,397 | | 47.28% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 622 | | 5.45% | | 11,416 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Solano | | 16,537 | | 48.87% | | 17,303 | | 51.13% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -766 | | -2.26% | | 33,840 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sonoma | | 26,766 | | 64.55% | | 14,699 | | 35.45% | | 3 | | 0.01% | | 12,067 | | 29.10% | | 41,468 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Stanislaus | | 21,487 | | 50.77% | | 20,828 | | 49.22% | | 4 | | 0.01% | | 659 | | 1.56% | | 42,319 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Sutter | | 4,704 | | 58.15% | | 3,386 | | 41.85% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,318 | | 16.29% | | 8,090 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tehama | | 4,566 | | 59.20% | | 3,147 | | 40.80% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | 1,419 | | 18.40% | | 7,713 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Trinity | | 1,137 | | 49.16% | | 1,176 | | 50.84% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -39 | | -1.69% | | 2,313 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tulare | | 21,491 | | 54.64% | | 17,842 | | 45.36% | | 1 | | 0.00% | | 3,649 | | 9.28% | | 39,334 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Tuolumne | | 2,773 | | 47.60% | | 3,053 | | 52.40% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -280 | | -4.81% | | 5,826 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Ventura | | 19,926 | | 53.33% | | 17,434 | | 46.66% | | 4 | | 0.01% | | 2,492 | | 6.67% | | 37,364 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yolo | | 7,053 | | 49.77% | | 7,114 | | 50.20% | | 5 | | 0.04% | | -61 | | -0.43% | | 14,172 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Yuba | | 3,462 | | 49.30% | | 3,561 | | 50.70% | | 0 | | 0.00% | | -99 | | -1.41% | | 7,023 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic
- Alameda
- Amador
- Fresno
- Kings
- Lassen
- Madera
- Merced
- Placer
- Plumas
- Sacramento
- Shasta
- Sierra
- Solano
- Trinity
- Tuolumne
- Yolo
- Yuba