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1968 United States Senate election in California

←  1962 November 5, 1968 1974 →
 
Nominee Alan Cranston Max Rafferty
Party Democratic Republican
Popular vote 3,680,352 3,329,148
Percentage 51.82% 46.87%

County results
Cranston:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%
Rafferty:      40–50%      50–60%      60–70%

U.S. senator before election

Thomas Kuchel
Republican

Elected U.S. senator

Alan Cranston
Democratic

The 1968 United States Senate election in California was held on November 5, 1968.

Incumbent Republican Thomas Kuchel was narrowly defeated in the June 4 primary by Superintendent of Public Instruction Max Rafferty. Rafferty would in turn go on to lose to Democratic former State Controller Alan Cranston by a close margin.

Republican primary

Candidates

  • Phil Cammack
  • W.C. Jones
  • Thomas Kuchel, incumbent U.S. Senator and Assistant Minority Leader
  • Max Rafferty, California Superintendent of Public Instruction since 1963
  • James A. Ware, perennial candidate for office from Los Angeles

Results

1968 Senate Republican primary [1]
Party Candidate Votes %
Republican Max Rafferty 1,112,947 50.05%
Republican Thomas Kuchel (incumbent) 1,043,315 46.92%
Republican James A. Ware 28,311 1.27%
Republican Phil Cammack 20,767 0.93%
Republican W.C. Jones 18,442 0.83%
Total votes 2,223,782 100.00

Democratic primary

Candidates

  • Anthony Beilenson, State Senator from Beverly Hills
  • William M. Bennett, member of the California Public Utilities Commission [2]
  • Walter Buchanan, perennial candidate
  • Charles Crail
  • Alan Cranston, former California State Controller

Results

Democratic primary results [3]
Party Candidate Votes %
Democratic Alan Cranston 1,681,825 58.99%
Democratic Anthony Beilenson 644,844 22.62%
Democratic Walter R. Buchanan 227,798 7.99%
Democratic William M. Bennett 207,720 7.29%
Democratic Charles Crail 89,023 3.12%
Total votes 2,851,210 100.00

General election

Candidates

  • Alan Cranston (Democratic)
  • Paul Jacobs (Peace & Freedom)
  • Max Rafferty (Republican)

Results

1968 United States Senate election in California [4]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Democratic Alan Cranston 3,680,352 51.82% Increase8.38
Republican Max Rafferty 3,329,148 46.87% Decrease9.46
Peace and Freedom Paul Jacobs 92,965 1.31% N/A
Total votes 7,102,465 100.00%
Democratic gain from Republican Swing

References

  1. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - R Primary Race - Jun 04, 1968".
  2. ^ "William M. Bennett, former JFK campaign chief and state political heavyweight, dies at 91". February 22, 2010.
  3. ^ "Our Campaigns - CA US Senate - D Primary Race - Jun 04, 1968".
  4. ^ "Statistics of the Congressional Election of November 5, 1968" (PDF). Clerk of the United States House of Representatives. Retrieved March 31, 2019.