The 1992 United States Senate special election in California took place on November 3, 1992, at the same time as the regular election to the United States Senate in California. Dianne Feinstein defeated future California governor Gray Davis in the Democratic primary, while John Seymour defeated William E. Dannemeyer in the Republican primary.

In this special election to complete the unexpired term of Republican Pete Wilson, who resigned to become Governor of California, incumbent Republican Senator John Seymour was defeated by former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, whom Wilson defeated in the 1990 gubernatorial election. Feinstein subsequently held seniority over fellow Democrat Barbara Boxer, who was elected on the same day; because Feinstein was elected to complete an unexpired term, she took office on November 4, only 1 day after the election, while Boxer's term commenced with the beginning of the next session of Congress in January 1993. These elections marked the first time in history that two women simultaneously served in the Senate from the same state.

Since Seymour's death in April 2026, this is the most recent U.S. Senate election in California and latest U.S. Senate election of any state in the nation where both major party Senate nominees are deceased.

Background The seat became vacant after incumbent Republican U.S. Senator Pete Wilson won the 1990 gubernatorial election, defeating Democrat Dianne Feinstein. Wilson appointed John Seymour to the Senate to replace himself.

Democratic primary Candidates Joseph Alioto Jr., attorney and son of former San Francisco mayor Joseph Alioto Gray Davis, California State Controller Dianne Feinstein, former Mayor of San Francisco (1978–88) and nominee for Governor in 1990 David Kearns

Results

Republican primary Candidates William B. Allen, former Chair of the United States Commission on Civil Rights and candidate for Senator in 1986 and Governor in 1990 William E. Dannemeyer, U.S. Representative from Fullerton John Seymour, incumbent U.S. Senator since January 1991 (appointed by Governor Pete Wilson) Jim Trinity, retired Glendale dentist

Results

General election Results

By county County Feinstein Seymour Horne Meeuwenberg Boddie Write-in share votes share votes share votes share votes share votes share votes Alameda 72.56% 374,675 21.93% 113,223 2.30% 11,866 1.61% 8,323 1.60% 8,257 0.00% 23 Alpine 47.91% 287 42.07% 252 3.01% 18 4.51% 27 2.50% 15 0.00% 0 Amador 48.29% 7,319 42.64% 6,463 2.40% 364 4.07% 617 2.60% 394 0.00% 0 Butte 44.72% 37,396 45.57% 38,111 2.96% 2,477 3.56% 2,980 3.19% 2,666 0.00% 0 Calaveras 46.64% 7,839 42.00% 7,059 2.32% 390 5.38% 905 3.65% 614 0.00% 0 Colusa 37.58% 2,083 54.37% 3,014 2.53% 140 3.18% 176 2.35% 130 0.00% 0 Contra Costa 62.96% 229,988 31.62% 115,507 1.92% 7,011 1.77% 6,470 1.73% 6,320 0.00% 2 Del Norte 50.92% 4,696 39.66% 3,658 2.56% 236 4.98% 459 1.89% 174 0.00% 0 El Dorado 45.34% 28,957 45.56% 29,101 2.37% 1,512 3.80% 2,427 2.93% 1,873 0.00% 0 Fresno 45.07% 94,988 48.48% 102,172 2.32% 4,888 2.25% 4,740 1.88% 3,959 0.00% 4 Glenn 33.10% 2,864 56.73% 4,908 2.51% 217 4.81% 416 2.85% 247 0.00% 0 Humboldt 59.81% 35,178 33.18% 19,513 2.99% 1,756 2.13% 1,253 1.90% 1,117 0.00% 0 Imperial 48.77% 12,433 43.42% 11,070 3.77% 962 2.55% 651 1.48% 378 0.00% 0 Inyo 37.41% 3,067 52.66% 4,318 2.68% 220 4.34% 356 2.90% 238 0.00% 0 Kern 36.31% 63,661 54.46% 95,483 3.22% 5,640 3.59% 6,289 2.43% 4,258 0.00% 3 Kings 40.70% 9,805 50.29% 12,115 3.74% 901 3.57% 860 1.70% 410 0.00% 0 Lake 55.10% 12,732 35.04% 8,096 3.12% 721 3.96% 916 2.77% 641 0.00% 0 Lassen 40.39% 4,005 47.64% 4,724 3.29% 326 5.59% 554 3.10% 307 0.00% 0 Los Angeles 58.72% 1,552,223 34.03% 899,656 3.18% 84,093 2.09% 55,380 1.97% 52,123 0.00% 20 Madera 39.79% 11,682 52.14% 15,309 2.94% 862 3.63% 1,066 1.50% 441 0.00% 0 Marin 71.26% 92,205 24.61% 31,846 1.45% 1,880 0.88% 1,142 1.80% 2,328 0.00% 0 Mariposa 45.38% 3,681 43.98% 3,568 3.09% 251 5.07% 411 2.48% 201 0.00% 0 Mendocino 60.59% 22,000 30.28% 10,993 3.55% 1,290 2.86% 1,039 2.72% 988 0.00% 0 Merced 47.61% 22,010 43.79% 20,246 2.79% 1,289 2.95% 1,365 2.86% 1,323 0.00% 0 Modoc 35.77% 1,572 52.95% 2,327 3.00% 132 5.21% 229 3.07% 135 0.00% 0 Mono 45.11% 1,931 44.64% 1,911 2.83% 121 3.95% 169 3.48% 149 0.00% 0 Monterey 58.89% 66,417 34.74% 39,182 2.10% 2,369 2.30% 2,590 1.96% 2,216 0.00% 0 Napa 57.01% 29,875 35.38% 18,539 2.46% 1,288 2.93% 1,537 2.22% 1,161 0.00% 0 Nevada 46.04% 20,044 44.73% 19,476 2.90% 1,261 3.32% 1,444 3.02% 1,313 0.00% 0 Orange 39.87% 377,170 50.93% 481,810 2.86% 27,056 3.42% 32,316 2.93% 27,729 0.00% 0 Placer 45.75% 40,511 45.73% 40,497 2.38% 2,109 3.30% 2,920 2.84% 2,518 0.00% 0 Plumas 46.44% 4,647 43.64% 4,367 2.30% 230 4.53% 453 3.10% 310 0.00% 0 Riverside 44.56% 187,548 45.44% 191,258 3.52% 14,808 3.95% 16,632 2.54% 10,689 0.00% 0 Sacramento 53.77% 237,722 38.07% 168,318 2.99% 13,228 2.88% 12,716 2.29% 10,113 0.00% 1 San Benito 55.51% 6,938 37.10% 4,637 2.34% 293 2.88% 360 2.16% 270 0.00% 0 San Bernardino 44.35% 200,979 45.67% 206,969 3.64% 16,511 3.71% 16,804 2.61% 11,825 0.01% 48 San Diego 46.97% 442,855 43.63% 411,362 3.21% 30,287 3.09% 29,149 3.10% 29,212 0.00% 3 San Francisco 80.60% 250,972 15.79% 49,165 1.63% 5,062 0.62% 1,919 1.36% 4,233 0.00% 10 San Joaquin 48.90% 76,607 43.11% 67,531 2.78% 4,360 3.27% 5,123 1.94% 3,043 0.00% 1 San L. Obispo 47.47% 48,376 43.94% 44,775 2.54% 2,587 3.08% 3,134 2.97% 3,030 0.00% 0 San Mateo 67.25% 181,990 27.89% 75,470 1.84% 4,983 1.29% 3,478 1.73% 4,684 0.00% 0 Santa Barbara 49.63% 77,900 42.71% 67,043 3.43% 5,386 2.25% 3,535 1.98% 3,101 0.00% 0 Santa Clara 62.19% 364,997 30.98% 181,858 2.15% 12,646 2.20% 12,912 2.47% 14,518 0.00% 2 Santa Cruz 67.88% 76,327 25.40% 28,562 2.49% 2,801 1.84% 2,072 2.39% 2,686 0.00% 1 Shasta 37.81% 25,111 51.48% 34,192 2.90% 1,928 4.62% 3,070 3.19% 2,116 0.00% 0 Sierra 45.12% 818 44.57% 808 2.48% 45 3.47% 63 4.36% 79 0.00% 0 Siskiyou 44.35% 8,963 45.42% 9,180 2.34% 473 5.16% 1,043 2.73% 551 0.00% 0 Solano 59.83% 77,739 32.30% 41,970 2.75% 3,571 2.84% 3,696 2.28% 2,960 0.00% 0 Sonoma 62.84% 121,471 29.38% 56,793 3.02% 5,846 2.43% 4,702 2.33% 4,502 0.00% 0 Stanislaus 50.11% 62,110 41.59% 51,549 2.84% 3,519 3.49% 4,325 1.98% 2,450 0.00% 0 Sutter 36.43% 9,135 53.54% 13,427 2.38% 596 5.24% 1,313 2.42% 606 0.00% 0 Tehama 39.31% 8,253 48.19% 10,116 2.99% 627 5.43% 1,140 4.08% 856 0.00% 0 Trinity 42.41% 2,743 43.66% 2,824 3.80% 246 6.29% 407 3.83% 248 0.00% 0 Tulare 35.71% 30,665 56.46% 48,493 2.72% 2,332 3.11% 2,674 2.00% 1,720 0.00% 0 Tuolumne 50.56% 11,895 40.59% 9,550 2.90% 682 3.40% 801 2.54% 597 0.01% 2 Ventura 45.30% 119,366 46.32% 122,064 2.72% 7,167 3.04% 8,019 2.61% 6,882 0.00% 1 Yolo 61.68% 37,340 31.70% 19,191 2.18% 1,319 2.27% 1,376 2.17% 1,311 0.00% 1 Yuba 40.76% 6,890 46.63% 7,882 3.07% 518 6.09% 1,030 3.45% 584 0.00% 0

Counties that flipped from Republican to Democratic Amador Alpine Contra Costa Imperial Calaveras Los Angeles San Benito Monterey Napa Nevada Mariposa San Luis Obispo Lake Tuolumne Merced Placer Santa Barbara Sacramento San Diego San Joaquin Stanislaus Mono Plumas Sierra

See also 1992 United States Senate elections 1992 United States Senate election in California

References

External links JoinCalifornia 1992 Special Election