CALIFORNIA
      Nov. 2, 1982 U.S. Senate

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 Sen.1
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+Pete Wilson (R) 4,022,565
 		51.53%
Jerry Brown (D)
3,494,968
 		44.78%
Joseph Fuhrig (L) 107,720
 		1.38%
David Wald (P&F)
 		96,388
 		1.23%
Theresa Dietrich (AIP)
83,809
 		1.07%
write-in
 		88

7,805,538
Plurality: 527,597 votes (6.76 percentage points).



Notes:  Freshman Sen. S.I. Hayakawa (R), 70, who had gained the nickname "Sleepin' Sam" and was seen as vulnerable, announced in late Jan. 1982 that he would not seek re-election.  San Diego Mayor Pete Wilson (R) emerged from a competitive primary and defeated Gov. Jerry Brown (D) in the general election to keep the seat in the Republican column.

The June 8 primaries saw a number of well known names on the ballot.  In the Republican primary, Wilson finished first with 37.54% followed by U.S. Rep. Pete McCloskey (25.46%), U.S. Rep. Barry Goldwater Jr. (18.01%), U.S. Rep. Bob Dornan (8.03%), Maureen Reagan (President Reagan's first child) at 5.22%, and eight other candidates rounding out the field.  Wilson was first elected Mayor of San Diego in 1971, after serving several terms in the State Assembly. Wilson had also run for governor in the 1978 Republican primary; although he finished a distant fourth, that campaign did give him experience with a statewide run.

On the Democratic side, Brown easily won the primary with 50.67%; his nearest competitors were writer Gore Vidal (15.11%) and state Sen. Paul Carpenter (15.11%).

Wilson highlighted his accomplishments during his ten years as Mayor, emphasizing his conservative fiscal management of America's eighth largest city.  Brown centered his campaign on running against Reaganomics, but was hampered by negatives accumulated during his two terms as governor, most notably in the battle against the Medfly in 1981-82 (>) and his 1976 and 1980 runs for president (>).

Brown and Wilson engaged in several debates.





See also:
Scott Shafer.  "Long Before Feinstein, Another Senator Faced Questions About Mental Fitness."  KQED, Feb. 8, 2023.

Katharine Macdonald.  "The California Senate Race."  The Washington Post, Nov. 1, 1982.

Lou Cannon.  "Wilson Stumbles Into Apparent Lead in California Senate Race."  The Washington Post, Oct. 17, 1982.

Wallace Turner.  "Hayakawa Abandons Race For a Second Term in Senate."  The New York Times, Jan. 31, 1982.

 


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