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Ronald Reagan, Jesse Unruh And The California Gubernatorial Race, 1970, Alice L. Alvarado

Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History

This essay examines the 1970 gubernatorial race in California between incumbent Ronald Reagan and powerful California legislator Jesse Unruh. Most of the scholarship on this particular subject tends to revolve around Reagan's first campaign for governor, but neglects his re-election campaign. Although Unruh would lose the campaign, he narrowed Reagan's win significantly. This study examines the candidates themselves, the issues facing California at the time, strategies used by each camp, and possible reasons why voters strayed from Reagan to the Unruh camp, and the final outcome of the race.