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This archival content was originally written for and published on KPCC.org. Keep in mind that links and images may no longer work — and references may be outdated.

KPCC Archive

California bucks national trend, chooses Democratic candidates

U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) attends a post election party November 2, 2010 in Hollywood, California. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) won a tight Senate race in California against Republican senatorial candidate and former head of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina, while California Attorney General and Democratic candidate Jerry Brown is leading Former eBay CEO and Republican candidate Meg Whitman for the Governor's seat.
U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) attends a post election party November 2, 2010 in Hollywood, California. U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-CA) won a tight Senate race in California against Republican senatorial candidate and former head of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina, while California Attorney General and Democratic candidate Jerry Brown is leading Former eBay CEO and Republican candidate Meg Whitman for the Governor's seat.
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Eric Thayer/Getty Images
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California bucks national trend, chooses Democratic candidates
California bucks national trend, chooses Democratic candidates

California voters elected Jerry Brown governor and decided to return Barbara Boxer to the U.S. Senate Tuesday, bucking national trends that saw widespread Democratic defeats.

Brown beat former eBay chief Meg Whitman, who spent $142 million on the race. That’s more than any candidate has ever spent on any statewide race in the country.

Brown served as governor before in the 1970s and '80s. He was the youngest governor then and at 72 will be the oldest person to enter the office in January.

Boxer beat the former head of Hewlett-Packard Carly Fiorina. It was the toughest re-election fight ever for the three-term U.S. senator – despite Fiorina’s unpopular ties to Wall Street and conservative social views. A feisty Fiorina refused to concede defeat last night even as every news organization declared Boxer the winner.

Almost every other statewide Democratic Party candidate also won – including San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom for lieutenant governor and State Assemblyman Dave Jones for insurance commissioner. There are two-and-a-half million more Democrats in California than Republicans.

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