2012 United States Senate election in California
The 2012 United States Senate election in California took place on November 6, 2012, concurrently with the 2012 U.S. presidential election as well as other elections to the United States Senate and House of Representatives and various state and local elections.
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| Turnout | 55.2% (voting eligible)[1] | ||||||||||||||||
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 County Results Feinstein: 50–60% 60–70% 70–80% 80–90% | |||||||||||||||||
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| Elections in California |
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The primary election on June 5 took place under California's new blanket primary law, where all candidates appear on the same ballot, regardless of party. In the primary, voters voted for any candidate listed, or write-in any other candidate. The top two finishers—regardless of party—advanced to the general election in November, even if a candidate managed to receive a majority of the votes cast in the June primary. In the primary, less than 15% of the total 2010 census population voted. Incumbent Democratic U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein announced her intention to run for a fourth full term in April 2011[2] and finished first in the blanket primary with 49.5% of the vote. The second-place finisher was Republican candidate and autism activist Elizabeth Emken, who won 12.7% of the vote.
Feinstein ultimately defeated Emken in the general election on November 6, winning 62.5% of the vote to Emken's 37.5%. Feinstein's total of 7.86 million popular votes is the most ever received by a candidate for U.S. Senate in American history.[3] This is the most recent U.S. Senate race in California where a Republican advanced to the general election (and to date, the only race where a Republican advanced after the implementation of California's blanket primary system); in 2016 and 2018, only Democratic candidates advanced to the general election. Emken's 4.7 million votes was a record number of votes any Republican Senate candidate had ever received in any state. The record stood for 8 years until it was broken by John Cornyn in 2020.
Primary
Democratic Party
- Dianne Feinstein, incumbent U.S. senator since 1992[4]
- Colleen Shea Fernald
- David Levitt, computer scientist and engineer[5]
- Nak Shah, environmental health consultant
- Diane Stewart, businesswoman
- Mike Strimling, attorney and former U.S. Peace Corps legal adviser
Republican Party
- John Boruff, businessman[6]
- Oscar Alejandro Braun, businessman and rancher
- Greg Conlon, businessman and CPA
- Elizabeth Emken, candidate for the 11th congressional district in 2010[7][8]
- Rogelio Gloria, U.S. Naval Officer
- Dan Hughes, businessman[9]
- Dennis Jackson
- Dirk Konopik, former congressional aide[8]
- Donald Krampe
- Robert Lauten
- Al Ramirez, businessman[10]
- Nachum Shifren, rabbi and state senate candidate in 2010[11]
- Orly Taitz, dentist, Birther movement activist and candidate for California Secretary of State in 2010[12]
- Rick Williams, business attorney[13]
Libertarian
- Gail Lightfoot, retired nurse
Peace and Freedom
- Kabiruddin Karim Ali, businessman
- Marsha Feinland, retired teacher
American Independent
- Don J. Grundmann, chiropractor
Results
Primary results by county:
Feinstein >= 20%
Feinstein >= 30%
Feinstein >= 40%
Feinstein >= 50%
Feinstein >= 60%
Feinstein >= 70%
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein (incumbent) | 2,392,822 | 49.3% | |
| Republican | Elizabeth Emken | 613,613 | 12.6% | |
| Republican | Dan Hughes | 323,840 | 6.7% | |
| Republican | Rick Williams | 157,946 | 3.3% | |
| Republican | Orly Taitz | 154,781 | 3.2% | |
| Republican | Dennis Jackson | 137,120 | 2.8% | |
| Republican | Greg Conlon | 135,421 | 2.8% | |
| Republican | Al Ramirez | 109,399 | 2.3% | |
| Libertarian | Gail Lightfoot | 101,648 | 2.1% | |
| Democratic | Diane Stewart | 97,782 | 2.0% | |
| Democratic | Mike Strimling | 97,024 | 2.0% | |
| Democratic | David Levitt | 76,482 | 1.6% | |
| Republican | Oscar Braun | 75,842 | 1.6% | |
| Republican | Robert Lauten | 57,720 | 1.2% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Marsha Feinland | 54,129 | 1.2% | |
| Democratic | Colleen Shea Fernald | 51,623 | 1.1% | |
| Republican | Donald Krampe | 39,035 | 0.8% | |
| American Independent | Don J. Grundmann | 33,037 | 0.7% | |
| Republican | Dirk Allen Konopik | 29,997 | 0.6% | |
| Republican | John Boruff | 29,357 | 0.6% | |
| Democratic | Nak Shah | 27,203 | 0.6% | |
| Republican | Rogelio T. Gloria | 22,529 | 0.5% | |
| Republican | Nachum Shifren | 21,762 | 0.4% | |
| Peace and Freedom | Kabiruddin Karim Ali | 12,269 | 0.3% | |
| Republican | Linda R. Price (write-in) | 25 | 0.0% | |
| Total votes | 4,852,406 | 100.0% | ||
Fundraising
| Candidate (party) | Receipts | Disbursements | Cash on hand | Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dianne Feinstein (D) | $12,673,306 | $12,105,960 | $865,541 | $373,734 |
| Elizabeth Emken (R) | $1,114,350 | $1,110,209 | $4,140 | $4,479 |
| Source: Federal Election Commission[17][18] | ||||
Top contributors
| Dianne Feinstein | Contribution | Elizabeth Emken | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pacific Gas and Electric Company | $120,700 | Thomas H. Lee Partners | $10,000 | |
| JStreetPAC | $82,171 | DevicePharm, Inc. | $7,500 | |
| General Atomics | $56,750 | Troy Group | $7,500 | |
| Edison International | $54,250 | Jelly Belly | $5,500 | |
| General Dynamics | $43,500 | Autism Advocate | $5,000 | |
| BAE Systems | $40,000 | Geier Group | $5,000 | |
| Diamond Foods | $31,599 | Generations Healthcare | $5,000 | |
| Northrop Grumman | $30,800 | Gingery Development | $4,000 | |
| International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees | $30,000 | MIR3, Inc. | $3,000 | |
| Wells Fargo | $27,250 | Northrop Grumman | $2,800 | |
| Source: Center for Responsive Politics[19] | ||||
Top industries
| Dianne Feinstein | Contribution | Elizabeth Emken | Contribution | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lawyers/Law Firms | $565,129 | Retired | $63,849 | |
| Retired | $463,058 | Republican/Conservative | $35,800 | |
| Agribusiness | $367,132 | Financial Institutions | $26,100 | |
| Real Estate | $334,321 | Real Estate | $19,200 | |
| Lobbyists | $324,196 | Business Services | $16,000 | |
| Financial Institutions | $321,744 | Misc Finance | $12,750 | |
| Electric Utilities | $313,450 | Printing & Publishing | $8,000 | |
| Entertainment Industry | $300,321 | Food & Beverage | $6,000 | |
| Women's Issues | $207,449 | Petroleum Industry | $6,000 | |
| High-Tech Industry | $205,789 | Lawyers/Law Firms | $5,458 | |
| Source: Center for Responsive Politics[20] | ||||
General election
Candidates
- Dianne Feinstein (D), incumbent U.S. Senator
- Elizabeth Emken (R), former Vice President of Autism Speaks[21]
Debates
No debates were scheduled. Senator Feinstein decided to focus on her own campaign rather than debate her challenger.[22][23]
Predictions
| Source | Ranking | As of |
|---|---|---|
| The Cook Political Report[24] | Solid D | November 1, 2012 |
| Sabato's Crystal Ball[25] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
| Rothenberg Political Report[26] | Safe D | November 2, 2012 |
| Real Clear Politics[27] | Safe D | November 5, 2012 |
Polling
| Poll source | Date(s) administered |
Sample size |
Margin of error |
Dianne Feinstein (D) |
Elizabeth Emken (R) |
Other | Undecided |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SurveyUSA | May 27–29, 2012 | 1,575 | ±2.5% | 50% | 34% | — | 15% |
| The Field Poll | June 21 – July 2, 2012 | 848 | ±3.5% | 51% | 32% | — | 17% |
| CBRT Pepperdine | July 30 – August 1, 2012 | 873 | ±3.3% | 46% | 34% | — | 21% |
| SurveyUSA | September 9–11, 2012 | 524 | ±4.2% | 55% | 37% | — | 9% |
| The Field Poll | September 6–18, 2012 | 902 | ±3.4% | 57% | 31% | — | 12% |
| SurveyUSA | October 7–9, 2012 | 539 | ±4.3% | 54% | 35% | — | 10% |
| Reason-Rupe | October 11–15, 2012 | 508 | ±5.1% | 60% | 34% | 2% | 5% |
| LA Times/USC | October 15–21, 2012 | 1,440 | ±n/a | 55% | 38% | 1% | 6% |
| The Field Poll | October 17–24, 2012 | 815 | ±3.6% | 56% | 32% | — | 12% |
| The Field Poll | October 25–30, 2012 | 751 | ±3.6% | 54% | 33% | — | 13% |
Results
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Dianne Feinstein (incumbent) | 7,864,624 | 62.52% | +3.09% | |
| Republican | Elizabeth Emken | 4,713,887 | 37.48% | +2.46% | |
| Total votes | 12,578,511 | 100.00% | N/A | ||
| Democratic hold | |||||
Results by county
| Dianne Feinstein | Elizabeth Emken | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| County | Votes | % | Votes | % |
| Alameda | 468,456 | 81.9% | 103,313 | 18.1% |
| Alpine | 409 | 64.1% | 229 | 35.9% |
| Amador | 7,051 | 40.8% | 10,232 | 59.2% |
| Butte | 43,681 | 49.3% | 44,981 | 50.7% |
| Calaveras | 8,878 | 41.6% | 12,479 | 58.4% |
| Colusa | 2,482 | 43.3% | 3,253 | 56.7% |
| Contra Costa | 300,194 | 70.1% | 128,310 | 29.9% |
| Del Norte | 4,065 | 47.4% | 4,502 | 52.6% |
| El Dorado | 35,776 | 41.3% | 50,820 | 58.7% |
| Fresno | 129,267 | 51.1% | 123,499 | 48.9% |
| Glenn | 3,520 | 39.0% | 5,515 | 61.0% |
| Humboldt | 36,162 | 65.0% | 19,437 | 35.0% |
| Imperial | 25,342 | 67.2% | 12,346 | 32.8% |
| Inyo | 3,333 | 42.6% | 4,494 | 57.4% |
| Kern | 92,252 | 42.3% | 125,906 | 57.7% |
| Kings | 13,304 | 42.6% | 17,916 | 57.4% |
| Lake | 13,543 | 59.0% | 9,424 | 41.0% |
| Lassen | 3,150 | 29.9% | 7,390 | 70.1% |
| Los Angeles | 2,183,654 | 71.5% | 868,924 | 28.5% |
| Madera | 15,997 | 41.1% | 22,942 | 58.9% |
| Marin | 105,153 | 80.1% | 26,105 | 19.9% |
| Mariposa | 3,551 | 40.3% | 5,268 | 59.7% |
| Mendocino | 24,254 | 70.3% | 10,224 | 29.7% |
| Merced | 32,955 | 55.0% | 27,000 | 45.0% |
| Modoc | 1,188 | 30.1% | 2,761 | 69.9% |
| Mono | 2,600 | 52.0% | 2,404 | 48.0% |
| Monterey | 84,585 | 69.6% | 36,930 | 30.4% |
| Napa | 37,122 | 66.5% | 18,682 | 33.5% |
| Nevada | 25,495 | 50.4% | 25,078 | 49.6% |
| Orange | 515,902 | 47.5% | 570,574 | 52.5% |
| Placer | 68,599 | 41.4% | 97,139 | 58.6% |
| Plumas | 4,162 | 42.8% | 5,560 | 57.2% |
| Riverside | 327,698 | 51.9% | 303,651 | 48.1% |
| Sacramento | 302,078 | 60.7% | 195,412 | 39.3% |
| San Benito | 11,389 | 61.1% | 7,255 | 38.9% |
| San Bernardino | 298,067 | 54.0% | 253,433 | 46.0% |
| San Diego | 622,781 | 54.4% | 521,884 | 45.6% |
| San Francisco | 305,126 | 88.5% | 39,589 | 11.5% |
| San Joaquin | 113,706 | 57.0% | 85,787 | 43.0% |
| San Luis Obispo | 62,216 | 50.8% | 60,262 | 49.2% |
| San Mateo | 213,503 | 77.2% | 62,979 | 22.8% |
| Santa Barbara | 93,921 | 59.6% | 63,599 | 40.4% |
| Santa Clara | 454,647 | 72.9% | 168,722 | 27.1% |
| Santa Cruz | 91,109 | 78.2% | 25,463 | 21.8% |
| Shasta | 27,155 | 36.5% | 47,184 | 63.5% |
| Sierra | 677 | 38.6% | 1,078 | 61.4% |
| Siskiyou | 8,196 | 42.0% | 11,334 | 58.0% |
| Solano | 98,251 | 66.0% | 50,634 | 34.0% |
| Sonoma | 154,892 | 73.7% | 55,256 | 26.3% |
| Stanislaus | 78,470 | 51.8% | 73,060 | 48.2% |
| Sutter | 12,395 | 41.2% | 17,715 | 58.8% |
| Tehama | 8,349 | 37.0% | 14,241 | 63.0% |
| Trinity | 2,658 | 47.5% | 2,943 | 52.5% |
| Tulare | 42,395 | 42.9% | 56,499 | 57.1% |
| Tuolumne | 10,336 | 42.8% | 13,823 | 57.2% |
| Ventura | 171,483 | 54.4% | 143,603 | 45.6% |
| Yolo | 49,148 | 67.7% | 23,468 | 32.3% |
| Yuba | 7,896 | 41.0% | 11,376 | 59.0% |
| Totals | 7,864,624 | 62.52% | 4,713,887 | 37.48% |
See also
References
- Dr. Michael McDonald (February 9, 2013). "2012 General Election Turnout Rates". George Mason University. Archived from the original on April 24, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2013.
- Marinucci, Carla (April 30, 2011). "US Sen. Dianne Feinstein on nuclear energy and her 2012 re-election: "My plan is to run"". San Francisco Chronicle Politics Blog. Archived from the original on January 22, 2012.
- Mahtesian, Charles. "Feinstein's record: 7.3 million votes". POLITICO. Retrieved February 12, 2020.
- Reston, Maeve (October 25, 2010). "Feinstein hints she'll run again in 2012". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on January 13, 2011. Retrieved January 3, 2011.
- Milhalcik, Carrie. "Citizen candidate to challenge Dianne Feinstein in Senate race". Current TV. Archived from the original on March 20, 2012. Retrieved March 22, 2012.
- Walker, Mark (December 1, 2011). "REGION: Ramona man running against Feinstein in 2012". North County Times. Archived from the original on September 7, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- Van Oot, Torey (November 28, 2011). "Republican Elizabeth Emken to run against Sen. Dianne Feinstein". The Sacramento Bee. Archived from the original on November 30, 2011. Retrieved November 28, 2011.
- Richman, Josh (November 29, 2011). "Danville woman seeks GOP nod to take on Feinstein". Oakland Tribune. Contra Costa Times. Archived from the original on December 31, 2011. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- Merl, Jean (February 6, 2012). "GOP businessman joins field challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on February 13, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- Archibald, Ashley (January 28, 2012). "Santa Monican hopes to unseat Feinstein". Santa Monica Daily Press. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- Surowski, Peter (May 18, 2011). "Rabbi Who Denounced Temecula Mosque Runs for Senate". Temecula Patch. Archived from the original on May 22, 2012. Retrieved February 12, 2012.
- "Orly Taitz Senate Campaign: 'Birther Queen' Running As GOP Candidate For U.S. Senate Seat In California". The Huffington Post. November 4, 2011. Archived from the original on November 7, 2011. Retrieved November 7, 2011.
- "Rick Williams for Senate". Archived from the original on March 9, 2012. Retrieved March 13, 2012.
- "Statement of Vote (June 5, 2012, Presidential Primary Election)" (PDF). California Secretary of State. Archived (PDF) from the original on May 7, 2017. Retrieved December 1, 2017.
- Wisckol, Martin (July 12, 2012). "O.C. 'birther' sues to block primary election results". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
- Wisckol, Martin (July 13, 2012). "O.C. 'birther' suit to block election results denied". The Orange County Register. Archived from the original on July 17, 2012.
- Federal Election Commission. "2012 House and Senate Campaign Finance for California FEINSTEIN, DIANNE". fec.gov. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013.
- Federal Election Commission. "2012 House and Senate Campaign Finance for California EMKEN, ELIZABETH". fec.gov. Archived from the original on July 21, 2013.
- Center for Responsive Politics. "Top Contributors 2012 Race: California Senate". opensecrets.org. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014.
- Center for Responsive Politics. "Top Industries 2012 Race: California Senate". opensecrets.org. Archived from the original on April 7, 2014.
- "Elizabeth Emken". ElizabethEmken.com. Archived from the original on October 18, 2016. Retrieved November 2, 2016.
- PaoloPhotoFilms (September 8, 2012). ""Feinstein Walks Out On Reporter", California US Senate debate". Archived from the original on January 12, 2018 – via YouTube.
- "Sen. Feinstein explains decision not to debate". ocregister.com. November 1, 2012. Archived from the original on December 9, 2012.
- "2012 Senate Race Ratings for November 1, 2012". The Cook Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Senate". Sabato's Crystal Ball. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Senate Ratings". Senate Ratings. The Rothenberg Political Report. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "2012 Elections Map - Battle for the Senate 2012". Real Clear Politics. Retrieved September 20, 2018.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on December 24, 2016. Retrieved January 15, 2018.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
External links
- Elections at Secretary of State of California
- Campaign contributions at OpenSecrets.org
- Outside spending at the Sunlight Foundation
- Candidate issue positions at On the Issues
- Official campaign sites (Archived)
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