1986 United States Senate election in California

1986 United States Senate election in California

← 1980 November 4, 1986 (1986-11-04) 1992 →
 
Nominee Alan Cranston Ed Zschau
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 3,646,672 3,541,804
Percentage 49.29% 47.87%

County results
Cranston:      40-50%      50–60%      60–70%      70–80%
Zschau:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Alan Cranston
Democratic

Elected U.S. Senator

Alan Cranston
Democratic

The 1986 United States Senate election in California took place on November 4, 1986. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Alan Cranston narrowly won re-election to a fourth and final term over Republican U.S. Congressman Ed Zschau. This was the last time where both major party nominees for the Class 3 Senate seat in California were men until 2022.

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • John Hancock Abbott, perennial candidate
  • Robert John Banuelos, resident of Costa Mesa
  • Alan Cranston, incumbent Senator
  • Charles Greene
  • Brian Lantz, candidate for Mayor of San Francisco in 1983

Results

1986 Democratic Senate primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alan Cranston (incumbent) 1,807,244 80.71%
Democratic Charles Greene 165,594 7.40%
Democratic John Hancock Abbott 124,218 5.55%
Democratic Robert John Banuelos 77,286 3.45%
Democratic Brian Lantz 64,907 2.90%
Total votes 2,239,249 100.00%

Republican primary

Candidates

Results

1986 Republican Senate primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Ed Zschau 737,384 37.12%
Republican Bruce Herschensohn 587,852 29.59%
Republican Michael D. Antonovich 180,010 9.06%
Republican Bobbi Fiedler 143,032 7.20%
Republican Edward M. Davis 130,309 6.56%
Republican Robert W. Naylor 60,820 3.06%
Republican Art Laffer 47,288 2.38%
Republican Joe Knowland 35,987 1.81%
Republican Eldridge Cleaver 23,512 1.17%
Republican George Montgomery 16,374 0.82%
Republican William B. Allen 12,990 0.65%
Republican William H. Pemberton 6,698 0.34%
Republican John W. Spring 4,478 0.23%
Total votes 1,986,374 100.00%

Peace and Freedom primary

Candidates

  • Lenni Brenner, Trotskyist anti-war activist and writer
  • Paul Kangas, private investigator and perennial candidate

Results

1986 Peace and Freedom Senate primary
Party Candidate Votes %
Peace and Freedom Paul Kangas 2,495 51.03%
Peace and Freedom Lenni Brenner 2,394 48.97%
Total votes 4,889 100.00%

General election

Results

1986 California U.S. Senate election
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alan Cranston (incumbent) 3,646,672 49.29%
Republican Ed Zschau 3,541,804 47.87%
American Independent Edward B Vallen 109,916 1.49%
Libertarian Breck McKinley 66,261 0.90%
Peace and Freedom Paul Kangas 33,869 0.46%
Democratic hold

See also


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