PolitiFinder
William Knowland, Gubernatorial candidate

William Knowland

Gubernatorial candidate
Born
June 26, 1908
Died
February 23, 1974
Age at death
65
Home state
California
Party
Republican
On the ballot
1958
0-1
RecordWin–Loss
Total Popular Votes
Knowland2.1M
Opponents3.1M
1
Elections run

William Knowland (1908–1974), a Republican politician from California, ran once for U.S. office, losing the 1958 governor election in California to Pat Brown, receiving 2,110,911 votes (40.16%).

Browse every governor election in California or all 1958 governor races.

How many votes has William Knowland received?

William Knowland has received 2,110,911 popular votes across 1 U.S. election, with a career record of 0–1.

Election history

William Knowland’s election history
YearOfficeResultVotesOpponent(s)
1958GovernorCaliforniaLost2,110,91140.16%Pat Brown
Cite this profile. PolitiFinder, “William Knowland: election history & vote totals.” https://politifinder.com/p/william-knowland-california. Accessed [date].

Compiled by PolitiFinder. Election results from official certified sources and the MIT Election Lab. See Data & sources and methodology. Data last verified July 28, 2026.