1988 Senate elections · California history
California U.S. Senate election 1988
Pete Wilson REP +8.8 · Class I seat · held 11/8/88
- Votes counted
- 9,743,598
- Margin
- 8.8 pts
- Seat held by
- Republicanheld
- President in CA
- R+3.6same year
General election 11/8/88
| Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Bar |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pete Wilson Won | REP | 5,143,409 | 52.79% | |
| Leo Tarcissus McCarthy | DEM | 4,287,253 | 44.00% | |
| M. Elizabeth Munoz | PAF | 166,600 | 1.71% | |
| Jack Dean | LIB | 79,997 | 0.82% | |
| Merton D. Short | IND | 66,288 | 0.68% | |
| Write-in | — | 51 | 0.00% | |
| Total | 9,743,598 | |||
Official source: data
Other California Senate races
| Year | Seat | Winner | Margin |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | Class I | Adam B. Schiff | 17.8 |
| 2024 special | Class I | Adam B. Schiff | 17.5 |
| 2022 | Class III | Alex Padilla | 22.1 |
| 2022 special | Class III | Alex Padilla | 21.8 |
| 2018 | Class I | Dianne Feinstein | 8.3 |
| 2016 | Class III | Kamala Harris | 23.2 |
| 2012 | Class I | Dianne Feinstein | 25.1 |
| 2010 | Class III | Barbara Boxer | 10.0 |
| 2006 | Class I | Dianne Feinstein | 24.4 |
| 2004 | Class III | Barbara Boxer | 19.9 |
| 2000 | Class I | Dianne Feinstein | 19.3 |
| 1998 | Class III | Barbara Boxer | 10.1 |
Full California Senate history →
Questions and answers
Who won the 1988 California Senate race?
Pete Wilson (REP) won with 52.8% of the vote, ahead of Leo Tarcissus McCarthy (44.0%), a margin of 8.8 points.
Did the California Senate seat change party in 1988?
No. The Republican Party held it.
How many votes were cast in the 1988 California Senate race?
9,743,598 votes were counted for the candidates in the general election.
Compiled by FiveThirtyEight from the official source linked above.