California
52 seats: 20R, 32D
Where It Ranks Among the States (House Elections 2000)- Voter Turnout: 43rd (42%)
- Victory Margin: 24th (37%)
Facts in Focus- In 2000, more than seven in ten adult Californians
did not vote for the individual who represents them in the U.S.
House of Representatives. In every election since the nineties, fewer than
three out of ten Californian adults have voted for a winning
representative.
- Four House winners in 2000 did not face a major party
opponent. There were that same number of uncontested House races in
the entire period of elections from 1982-1996.
-
Voter turnout
in U. S. House races in California was the highest since
1992 this year.
- 79% of California's U.S. House races in 2000 were landslides
won by more than 20 percentage points � the highest percentage of
the since the eighties, but well short of the "landslide index" of
93% in both 1986 and
1988.
- The Republican share of the popular vote in
House races stayed at about the same rate as in 1998, however, their
share of seats decreased by 4 in 2000. This lack of a representative
House delegation is one of the reasons the state ranked
42nd
in the Center's "democracy index."
- Non-major party candidates won 6% of the
vote in 2000 and have won at least 4% in every election in 1992-2000, yet
once again did not come close to winning a
seat.
- In the four elections between 1992 and 2000, more than 16 million Californians have
cast votes for losing candidates in U.S. House races; their
votes were "wasted" and won no representation. In 2000 over 30% were
wasted.
- Of California's 20 House incumbents first
elected before 1990, 15 have won every single election from
1992-2000 by landslide margins of at least 20%.
How
California ranked in 2000
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