California's 2012 elections U.S. Senate • U.S. House • State Senate • State Assembly • State ballot measures • Candidate ballot access

The state of California held elections in 2012. Below are the dates of note:

• Signature filing deadline: March 9, 2012 & dates vary for state ballot measures
• Primary date: June 5, 2012
• General election date: November 6, 2012

On the 2012 ballot			Click here for all November 6, 2012 Election Results
U.S. Senate (1 seat)	a	Preview Article
U.S. House (53 seats)	a
State Executives	d	N/A
State Senate (20 seats)	a	Preview Article
State Assembly (80 seats)	a
Ballot measures (13 measures)	a	Preview Article

2012 Elections[edit]

Elections by type[edit]

U.S. Senate[edit]

See also: United States Senate elections in California, 2012

Dianne Feinstein

Elizabeth Emken

U.S. House[edit]

See also: United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2012

District	General Election Candidates	Incumbent	2012 Winner	Partisan Switch?
1st	Jim Reed Doug La Malfa	Mike Thompson	Doug La Malfa	Yes
2nd	Jared Huffman Daniel Roberts	Wally Herger	Jared Huffman	Yes
3rd	John Garamendi Kim Dolbow Vann	Dan Lungren	John Garamendi	Yes
4th	Jack Uppal Tom McClintock	Tom McClintock	Tom McClintock	No
5th	Mike Thompson Randy Loftin	Doris Matsui	Mike Thompson	No
6th	Doris Matsui Joseph McCray, Sr.	Lynn Woolsey	Doris Matsui	No
7th	Ami Bera Dan Lungren	George Miller	Ami Bera	No
8th	Paul Cook Gregg Imus	Nancy Pelosi	Paul Cook	Yes
9th	Jerry McNerney Ricky Gill	Barbara Lee	Jerry McNerney	No
10th	Jose Hernandez Jeff Denham	John Garamendi	Jeff Denham	Yes
11th	George Miller Virginia Fuller	Jerry McNerney	George Miller	No
12th	Nancy Pelosi John Dennis	Jackie Speier	Nancy Pelosi	No
13th	Barbara Lee Marilyn Singleton	Pete Stark	Barbara Lee	No
14th	Jackie Speier Deborah Bacigalupi	Anna Eshoo	Jackie Speier	No
15th	Pete Stark Eric Swalwell	Mike Honda	Eric Swalwell	No
16th	Jim Costa Brian Daniel Whelan	Zoe Lofgren	Jim Costa	No
17th	Mike Honda Evelyn Li	Sam Farr	Mike Honda	No
18th	Anna Eshoo Dave Chapman	Dennis Cardoza	Anna Eshoo	No
19th	Zoe Lofgren Robert Murray	Jeff Denham	Zoe Lofgren	Yes
20th	Sam Farr Jeff Taylor	Jim Costa	Sam Farr	No
21st	John Hernandez David Valadao	Devin Nunes	David Valadao	No
22nd	Otto Lee Devin Nunes	Kevin McCarthy	Devin Nunes	No
23rd	Kevin McCarthy Terry Phillips	Lois Capps	Kevin McCarthy	Yes
24th	Lois Capps Abel Maldonado	Elton Gallegly	Lois Capps	Yes
25th	Lee Rogers Howard McKeon	Howard McKeon	Howard McKeon	No
26th	Julia Brownley Tony Strickland	David Dreier	Julia Brownley	Yes
27th	Judy Chu Jack Orswell	[[Brad Sherman]]	Judy Chu	No
28th	Adam Schiff Phil Jennerjahn	Howard Berman	Adam Schiff	No
29th	Tony Cardenas David Hernandez	Adam Schiff	Tony Cardenas	No
30th	Howard Berman [[Brad Sherman]]	Henry Waxman	[[Brad Sherman]]	No
31st	Bob Dutton Gary Miller	Xavier Becerra	Gary Miller	Yes
32nd	Grace Napolitano David Miller	Judy Chu	Grace Napolitano	No
33rd	Henry Waxman Bill Bloomfield	Karen Bass	Henry Waxman	No
34th	Xavier Becerra Stephen Smith	Lucille Roybal-Allard	Xavier Becerra	No
35th	Joe Baca Gloria Negrete McLeod	Maxine Waters	Gloria Negrete McLeod	No
36th	Raul Ruiz Mary Bono Mack	Janice Hahn	Raul Ruiz	No
37th	Karen Bass Morgan Osborne	Laura Richardson	Karen Bass	No
38th	Linda Sanchez Benjamin Campos	Grace Napolitano	Linda Sanchez	No
39th	Jay Chen Edward R. Royce	Linda Sanchez	Edward R. Royce	Yes
40th	Lucille Roybal-Allard David Sanchez	Edward Royce	Lucille Roybal-Allard	Yes
41st	Mark Takano John Tavaglione	Jerry Lewis	Mark Takano	Yes
42nd	Michael Williamson Ken Calvert	Gary Miller	Ken Calvert	No
43rd	Bob Flores Maxine Waters	Joe Baca	Maxine Waters	No
44th	Janice Hahn Laura Richardson	Ken Calvert	Janice Hahn	Yes
45th	Sukhee Kang John Campbell	Mary Bono Mack	John Campbell	No
46th	Loretta Sanchez Jerry Hayden	Dana Rohrabacher	Loretta Sanchez	Yes
47th	Alan Lowenthal Gary DeLong	Loretta Sanchez	Alan Lowenthal	No
48th	Ron Varasteh Dana Rohrabacher	John Campbell	Dana Rohrabacher	No
49th	Jerry Tetalman Darrell Issa	Darrell Issa	Darrell Issa	No
50th	David Secor Duncan Hunter	Brian Bilbray	Duncan Hunter	No
51st	Juan Vargas Michael Crimmins	Bob Filner	Juan Vargas	No
52nd	Scott Peters Brian Bilbray	Duncan Hunter	Scott Peters	Yes
53rd	Susan Davis Nick Popaditch	Susan Davis	Susan Davis	No

State Senate[edit]

See also: California State Senate elections, 2012

Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state senate.

State House[edit]

See also: California State Assembly elections, 2012

Heading into the election, Democrats maintained partisan control in the state assembly.

Ballot measures[edit]

See also: California 2012 ballot measures

June 5:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Proposition 28	Term limits	Removes the limit of two 4-year terms for state senators; removes the limit of three 2-year terms for state representatives; creates a lifetime term limit of twelve years in the state legislature	a
CISS	Proposition 29	Taxes	Increases the tax on cigarettes to fund cancer research	d

November 6:

Type	Title	Subject	Description	Result
CICA	Proposition 30	Taxes	Increases the state sales and income taxes for seven years	a
CICA/SS	Proposition 31	State budget	Establishes a two-year budget cycle; prohibits the state legislature from expending more than $25 million without creating budgetary offsets or other spending cuts; permits the governor to enact budget cuts during declared fiscal emergencies; requires performance reviews of state programs; and allows local governments to change procedures for locally administered programs that are state-funded	d
CISS	Proposition 32	Labor	Bans unions and corporations from contributing payroll-deducted funds to state and local candidates; bans government contractors from contributing to candidates that may award government contracts	d
CISS	Proposition 33	Insurance	Allows insurers to set prices based on whether the driver previously carried insurance coverage with any insurance company over the last five years	d
CISS	Proposition 34	Death penalty	Abolishes the death penalty and replaces it with a maximum life sentence without the opportunity for parole; applies the abolition and new sentencing retroactively; allocates $100 million to law enforcement for rape and homicide investigations	d
CISS	Proposition 35	Law enforcement	Increases maximum sentencing for human trafficking to 15 years to life and $1.5 million in fines; allocates collected fines to victims of human trafficking and law enforcement; requires persons convicted to be registered as a sex offender; requires human trafficking training for law enforcement	aot
CISS	Proposition 36	Law enforcement	Changes the three-strikes sentencing system established by a 1994 ballot initiative, Proposition 184, to impose life sentences when new felony convictions are serious or violent; allows resentencing for convicts serving life sentences for felonies that were not serious or violent, except in the case of rape, murder, or child molestation	a
CISS	Proposition 37	Regulations	Requires labeling for foods that are genetically modified and prohibits labeling such foods as "natural"	d
CISS	Proposition 38	Taxes	Increases state income taxes (using a sliding scale) by .4% for lowest individual earners to 2.2% for individuals earning over $2.5 million to fund education and early childhood programs	d
CISS	Proposition 39	Taxes	Requires out-of-state businesses to calculate income taxes based on percentage of sales in California; repeals current law that allowed out-of-state businesses to choose tax liability formulas; dedicates half of the revenue ($500-$550 million) annually for five years from the expected increase in revenue under the initiative to fund fhe Clean Energy Job Creation Fund, which was designed under the initiative to "support projects intended to improve energy efficiency and expand the use of alternative energy"	a
VR	Proposition 40	Redistricting	Upholds or rejects the State Senate districts drawn by the Citizens Redistricting Commission, which were certified by the commission on August 15, 2011, and that took effect on June 5, 2012	a

Local measures[edit]

See also: Local ballot measures, California and Local ballot measure elections in 2012

Ballotpedia tracked local ballot elections in 11 states. Those states included: Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Illinois, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin.

For the state of California, below is a glimpse of some of the local measures that appeared or were scheduled to appear on ballots in 2012.

• City of Piedmont Parcel Tax, Measure D (March 2008)
• City of Calexico Appointed City Clerk and City Treasurer, Measures P and Q (June 2012)
• City of Fresno Financial Practices Charter Amendment, Measure F (November 2012)
• Blanchard/Santa Paula Public Library Increase in Appropriations Limit, Measure U (November 2012)
• City of Cotati Prohibition on Roundabout Construction, Measure U (November 2012)
• Santa Rosa Design-Build Procurement, Measure S (November 2012)
• Method of Election to the Santa Rosa City Council, Measure Q (November 2012)
• City of Hughson Length of Mayoral Term, Measure U (November 2012)
• Indian Wells Rotation in the Office of Mayor, Measure Q (November 2012)
• City of Eastvale Appropriations Limit, Measure BB (November 2012)

...click here for all 2012 California local measures.

Recalls[edit]

See also: Political recall efforts and Recall campaigns in California

San Fernando[edit]

San Fernando, California city councilors Mario Hernandez, Maribel De La Torre, and Brenda Esqueda all faced recall elections.^[1] While Hernandez resigned from his post in July 2012, his name still appeared on the recall ballot in accordance with the laws governing recall in California. Activity on the city council was more reminiscent of a soap opera than of a local government. At a November 2011 city council meeting, Hernandez, who was married at the time, announced that he was having an affair with De La Torre.^[2] In June 2012, Hernandez and De La Torre had a violent altercation that resulted in De La Torre being charged with vandalism and battery.^[3] Meanwhile, Esqueda was openly having an extra-marital affair with police sergeant Alvaro Castellon. All three city councilors were accused of interfering with a police investigation that involved Castellon allegedly making criminal threats against a police cadet who was having an affair with Chief of Police Anthony Ruelas.^[4] The police cadet, Maria Barajas, sued the city, claiming that Castellon told her she "could disappear."

The three recall targets were accused of retaliating against recall supporters by selectively enforcing obscure city codes, and voting for a controversial "decorum ordinance" that would physically remove and impose fines on those who are considered "out of order" at city council meetings.^[5][6]

Orange Cove[edit]

Frank Martinez and Glenda Hill, members of the Orange Cove City Council, were also up for recall on November 6. Former Orange Cove Mayor Victor Lopez organized the recall effort. He said Martinez and Hill were "running the city into a bankruptcy." Lopez was running as a replacement candidate in the election, meaning that if either Martinez or Hill were recalled, he could take one of their seats on the council.^[7]

Eligibility to Vote[edit]

Primary election[edit]

See also: Voting in the 2012 primary elections

California was one of 16 states to use an open primary system. California's system was an open Top 2 Primary Election, in which the top two candidates move to the general election. The deadline to register to vote was 15 days prior to each local and statewide Election Day.^[8] (Information about registering to vote)

General election[edit]

See also: Voting in the 2012 general elections

The deadline to register to vote was 15 days prior to the election day, which in 2012 was October 22.^[9]

• Voter ID info
• Same-day registration: None

Voting absentee[edit]

See also: Absentee Voting

California provides for universal, automatic mail-in voting in all elections. Local election officials automatically deliver mail-in ballots to all registered voters. Voters may also choose to cast their ballots in person.^[10][11]

Voting early[edit]

See also: Early voting

California is one of 34 states that permits early voting with no specific restrictions as to who can vote early. Early voting dates in California are determined by individual counties. County information can be accessed here.

See also[edit]

Footnotes[edit]

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