UNCONTESTED CANDIDATES
Historic Uncontested Candidates (1946-2024)
In the last seventy-two years, there have been 513 unopposed candidates. With cross-filing at its peak (allowing candidates to win multiple primaries and exclude other candidates from the general election ballot), 1950 and 1952 elections saw the most uncontested candidates (more than 150 in those two years alone). Democrats have had more unchallenged candidates. A large majority of the races were for Assembly seats (342 races), while 103 were State Senate races, 52 were members of Congress, and 12 members of the Board of Equalization.
Frequently Unopposed Candidates
Several candidates have run unopposed on multiple occasions. Lloyd W. Lowrey holds the record, having run unopposed eight times. Because term limits limits candidates to a maximum of six elections, this record is unlikely to be broken. Ralph M. Brown and Gus Hawkins were elected unopposed seven times. Donald L. Grunsky and William Byron Rumford were elected unopposed six times. George A. Clarke, Glenn E. Coolidge, John F. Shelley, Richard H. McCollister, and Randolph Collier were elected unopposed five times. Ten candidates were elected unopposed four times: Carley V. Porter, Clair Engle, Francis C. Lindsay, Francis Dunn Jr., George R. Reilly, Hugh M. Burns, Hugh P. Donnelly, Marvin Sherwin, Vincent Thomas, and Laughlin E. Waters.
Recent Candidates Elected Unopposed (2006-Present):
Chris Ward (2024) - Assembly - Most recent candidate to run unopposed.
Reginald Byron Jones-Sawyer (2022 & 2016 & 2014) - Assembly - Most recent candidate to run unopposed multiple times.
Vince Fong (2022) - Assembly - Most Recent Republican to run unopposed.
Lori D. Wilson (2021 Special) - Assembly - Most recent special election candidate to run unopposed.
Jim Patterson (2020 & 2014) - Assembly - Most recent Republican candidate to run unopposed multiple times.
Frank Bigelow (2020) - Assembly
Wendy Carrillo (2020) - Assembly
Holly J. Mitchell (2018) - Senate
Laura Friedman (2018) - Assembly
Eloise Reyes (2018) - Assembly
Richard Bloom (2018) - Assembly
Eduardo Garcia (2016) - Assembly
Sharon Runner (2015 Special) - Senate - *Six write-in candidates in this contest received a total of 1657 votes.
Lorena Gonzalez (2014) - Assembly
Cristina Garcia (2014) - Assembly
Susan Bonilla (2012) - Assembly
Isadore Hall (2012) - Assembly
Devin G. Nunes (2010) - Congress - Most recent Congressional candidate to run unopposed.
Kevin de Leon (2010) - Senate
Ed Hernandez (2010)- Senate
Jim Nielsen (2010) - Assembly
Kristin Olsen (2010) - Assembly
John A. Perez (2010) - Assembly
Mike Davis (2010) - Assembly
Dennis A. Cardoza (2010) - Congress
Kevin McCarthy (2010) - Congress *A write-in candidate in this contest received 2173 votes.
Henry A. Waxman (2010) - Congress
Xavier Becerra (2010 & 2006) - Congress
Hilda Solis (2010) - Congress *A write-in candidate in this contest received 8 votes.
Howard Berman (2008) - Congress *A write-in candidate in this contest received 150 votes.
George Radanovich (2008) - Congress *Two write-in candidates in this contest received a total of 2856 votes.
Ted Gaines (2008) - Assembly
Nancy Skinner (2008) - Assembly
Anna Caballero (2008) - Assembly
Hector De La Torre (2008) - Assembly
Wilmer Amina Carter (2008) - Assembly
Brian Nestande (2008) - Assembly
Jeff Miller (2008) - Assembly
Jim Costa (2006) - Congress
Diane Watson (2006) - Congress
Gary G. Miller (2006) - Congress
Dean Florez (2006) - Senate
Gloria Negrete-McLeod (2006) - Senate
Noreen Evans (2006) - Assembly *A write-in candidate in this contest received 1464 votes.
Juan Arambula (2006) - Assembly
Richard Alarcon (2006 & 2002) - Senate & Assembly
Fabian Nunez (2006) - Assembly
Mervyn M. Dymally (2006 & 2004) - Assembly
Jack O'Connell (2002) - Superintendent of Public Instruction - Most recent Statewide candidate to run unopposed. *A write-in candidate in this contest received 4392 votes.