1958 United States Senate election in California

none March 2026 September 2023 1958 United States Senate election in California California presidential no 1952 United States Senate election in California 1952 1964 United States Senate election in California 1964 November 4, 1958 Clair Engle (cropped).jpg Clair Engle Democratic Party (US) 2,927,693 57.01% Goodwin J. Knight, 31st Governor of California Crop Edit.jpg Goodwin Knight Republican Party (US) 2,204,337 42.93% 1958 United States Senate election in California results map by county.svg 300px County resultsEngle: #7996e2 50–60% #6674de 60–70% #584cde 70–80% #3933e5 80–90% Knight: #e27f7f 50–60% U.S. Senator William F. Knowland Republican Party (US) Clair Engle Democratic Party (US) The 1958 United States Senate election in California was held on November 4, 1958. Incumbent senator William F. Knowland opted not to run for re-election, choosing instead to run for election as governor. Incumbent governor Goodwin Knight exchanged places with Knowland and lost to U.S. Representative Clair Engle in the midst of a national landslide for the Democratic Party. Knowland's decision to run for governor came in spite of strong opposition from Knight, who had wanted to run for re-election rather than for the Senate. The bad impression left by the feud between the two politicians, along with labor mobilization against Proposition 18, was a major factor in the Democratic landslide in California in 1958.Starr Kevin Golden Dreams: California in an Age of Abundance, 1950–1963 Oxford University Press 2011 978-0-19-515377-4 212–216Anderson Totton J. The 1958 Election in California The Western Political Quarterly [University of Utah, Sage Publications, Inc., Western Political Science Association] 12 1 1959 0043-4078 444055 276–300 http://www.jstor.org/stable/444055 2024-05-07 As of 2026, this was the last time Inyo County voted Democratic in a Senate election contested by both political parties.Excluding 2016 and 2018, when two Democrats advanced to the general election and the county voted Democratic. This was one of 15 seats Democrats gained from the Republican Party in 1958, part of a record swing. Republican primary Knowland announced his retirement from the Senate in January 1957, ostensibly to spend more time with his family. However, it was an open secret in California Republican politics that Knowland was interested in running for governor. Knowland was hoping to run for president in 1960, and believed that the governorship would provide an effective launching pad for his campaign and allow him to box out potential rival Richard Nixon. Knight, a moderate, pro-labor Republican, disliked the conservative Knowland and opposed his attempt to enter the gubernatorial primary. Knight attempted to box out Knowland by announcing his run for re-election as governor in August 1957; Knowland announced his run for governor two months later. However, Knowland was able to line up support from major Republican donors (including the oil and aircraft industries), the conservative Los Angeles Times, and Richard Nixon, who held significant sway in the California Republican Party. Facing significant pressure and in ill health, Knight eventually relented and switched from the gubernatorial to the senatorial race in November 1957, after receiving assurances that he would receive endorsements from Nixon and Eisenhower as well as organizational support from the California Republican Party. George Christopher, the mayor of San Francisco, had announced his candidacy for the Senate after Knowland's retirement. Christopher accused Knight of a double-cross, as well as ethnic prejudice for trying to run against the first major Greek-American candidate for statewide office. However, the strength of the California Republican organization ultimately helped Knight defeat Christopher in the primary. Candidates George Christopher, Mayor of San Francisco William Jolley Goodwin Knight, Governor of California Alexander Williamson Results thumb|200px|Republican primary results by county: #ed8783 Knight #fbdedd 30–40% #f1b4b2 40–50% #ed8783 50–60% #e55651 60–70% #c88fe4 Christopher #dcb7ef 40–50% #8db8e2 Engle #deedfb 30–40% #b4d0ec 40–50% #8db8e2 50–60% 1958 Republican U.S. Senate primary CA US Senate – R Primary https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=765050 OurCampaigns 12 August 2019 Republican Party (United States) Goodwin Knight 790,939 49.15% Republican Party (United States) George Christopher 558,245 34.69% Democratic Party (United States) Clair Engle (cross-filing) 173,845 10.80% Republican Party (United States) Alexander D. Williamson 53,273 3.31% Republican Party (United States) William Jolley 32,921 2.05% 1,609,223 100.00 Democratic primary Candidates Clair Engle, U.S. Representative from Red Bluff Fritjof Thygeson Results General election results CA US Senate – D Primary https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=765049 OurCampaigns 12 August 2019 Democratic Party (United States) Clair Engle 1,558,622 70.85% Republican Party (United States) Goodwin Knight (cross-filing) 385,170 17.51% Republican Party (United States) George Christopher (cross-filing) 221,783 10.08% Democratic Party (United States) Fritjof Thygeson 34,316 1.56% 2,199,891 100.00 General election Results 1958 U.S. Senate election in California Our Campaigns – CA US Senate https://www.ourcampaigns.com/RaceDetail.html?RaceID=765049 OurCampaigns 12 August 2019 Democratic Party (United States) Clair Engle 2,927,693 57.01% 57.01 Republican Party (United States) Goodwin Knight 2,204,337 42.93% 44.86 Write-in Jesse M. Ritchie 892 0.02% N/A Write-in Ray B. Pollard 281 0.01% N/A Write-in All others 2,018 0.04% N/A 5,135,221 100.00 See also 1958 United States Senate elections Notes References 1958 California United States Senate