| Field | Value |
|---|
| election_name | 2014 California Secretary of State election |
| country | California |
| type | presidential |
| ongoing | no |
| previous_election | 2010 California Secretary of State election |
| previous_year | 2010 |
| next_election | 2018 California Secretary of State election |
| next_year | 2018 |
| election_date | November 4, 2014 |
| image1 | File:Alex Padilla official (cropped).jpg |
| image_size | 150x150px |
| nominee1 | Alex Padilla |
| party1 | Democratic Party (United States) |
| popular_vote1 | 3,799,711 |
| percentage1 | 53.6% |
| image2 | 3x4.svg |
| nominee2 | Pete Peterson |
| party2 | Republican Party (United States) |
| popular_vote2 | 3,285,334 |
| percentage2 | 46.4% |
| map_image | 2014 California Secretary of State election results map by county.svg |
| map_size | 300px |
| map_caption | County results |
| Padilla: |
|
| title | Secretary of State |
| before_election | Debra Bowen |
| before_party | Democratic Party (United States) |
| after_election | Alex Padilla |
| after_party | Democratic Party (United States) |
Padilla:
Peterson:
The 2014 California Secretary of State election was held on November 4, 2014, to elect the secretary of state of California. Incumbent Democratic secretary of state Debra Bowen was term-limited and ineligible to run for re-election to a third term in office.
A primary election was held on June 3, 2014. 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. The top two finishers — regardless of party — advance to the general election in November, even if a candidate manages to receive a majority of the votes cast in the primary election. Washington is the only other state with this system, a so-called "top two primary" (Louisiana has a similar "jungle primary").
Democrat Alex Padilla and Republican Pete Peterson finished first and second, respectively, and contested the general election, which Padilla won by 7.2 percentage points. As a result, it was the closest statewide race in California that year. As of , this election, alongside the concurrent State Controller election, is also the last time in which a statewide California race between a Democrat and a Republican was decided by single digits; and in which Mono, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, and Ventura Counties voted for the Republican in a statewide race.
Primary election
Candidates
Democratic Party
Declared
- Derek Cressman, political reform and anti-dark money activist and former vice president of Common Cause
- Jeffrey H. Drobman, computer scientist and engineer
- Alex Padilla, state senator
Withdrew
- Leland Yee, state senator
Republican Party
Declared
- Roy Allmond, California state employee
- Pete Peterson, executive director of the Davenport Institute for Public Engagement at Pepperdine University
Green Party
Declared
- David S. Curtis, architectural designer
Independent
Declared
- Daniel Schnur, former chairman of the California Fair Political Practices Commission and former Republican strategist
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) |
|---|
| administered | Sample |
| size | Margin of |
| error | Derek |
| Cressman (D) | David |
| Curtis (G) | Alex |
| Padilla (D) | Pete |
| Peterson (R) | Daniel |
| Schnur (I) | Leland |
| Yee (D) | Other | Undecided |
| SurveyUSA | May 16–19, 2014 | 610 | ±4% | — | — | 48% | 32% | — | — | 9% | 11% |
| Field Poll | March 18–April 5, 2014 | 504 | ±4.5% | 3% | 5% | 17% | 30% | 4% | — | | 41% |
| 2% | 4% | 10% | 27% | 4% | 8% | 1% | 44% | | | | |
Results
General election
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) |
|---|
| administered | Sample |
| size | Margin of |
| error | Alex |
| Padilla (D) | Pete |
| Peterson (R) | Undecided |
| GQR/American Viewpoint | October 22–29, 2014 | 1,162 | ± 3.3% | 45% | 41% | 14% |
| Field Poll | October 15–28, 2014 | 941 | ± 3.4% | 44% | 37% | 19% |
| Field Poll | August 14–28, 2014 | 467 | ± 4.8% | 43% | 36% | 21% |
| Gravis Marketing | July 22–24, 2014 | 580 | ± 4% | 34% | 37% | 28% |
Results
References
- Paul Blumenthal. (March 5, 2014). "Derek Cressman Aims To Take The Citizens United Fight Inside Government". The Huffington Post.
- "Official certified list of candidates". California Secretary of State.
- Patrick McGreevy. (April 11, 2013). "Sen. Alex Padilla announces run for California secretary of state". Los Angeles Times.
- (Mar 27, 2014). "Indicted California state senator ends Secretary of State campaign". Reuters.
- Jean Merl. (March 4, 2014). "Secretary of state candidates make their case at L.A. forum". Los Angeles Times.
- (January 10, 2014). "California Secretary of State Candidate David Curtis Talks Green Politics". IVN.
- (April 20, 2014). "David Curtis Excluded from Sacramento Press Club Debate". Cal Newsroom.
- (April 20, 2014). "Can a Green Party candidate break the glass ceiling?". Los Angeles Times.
- Alex Gauthier. (September 12, 2013). "Dan Schnur running for California Secretary of State". SCPR.
- [http://www.surveyusa.com/client/PollReport.aspx?g=a6615198-2937-403c-abdd-56c25066c4fb SurveyUSA]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20140415143652/http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2465.pdf Field Poll]
- "Statement of Vote June 3, 2014, Statewide Direct Primary Election". California Secretary of State.
- [http://www.gqrr.com/articles/2014/10/31/new-university-of-southern-california-dornsife-college-of-letters-arts-and-sciences-los-angeles-times-poll-12 GQR/American Viewpoint]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20141031171528/http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2489.pdf Field Poll]
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20141001110017/http://www.field.com/fieldpollonline/subscribers/Rls2481.pdf Field Poll]
- [http://gravismarketing.com/polling-and-market-research/california-statewide-polling/ Gravis Marketing]
- "Statement of Vote November 4, 2014, General Election". California Secretary of State.