Incumbent Republican governor Goodwin Knight, who had ascended to the office after Earl Warren resigned to become Chief Justice of the United States the previous year, won a full term against Democrat Richard Graves.

Graves was the first Democratic nominee for governor to carry Yolo County since 1910; since 1954 it has been won by the Democratic nominee in all but three[a] elections.

Knight remains the last Republican gubernatorial nominee to date to carry San Francisco.

Primary elections were held on June 8, 1954.

Galbrish was disqualified from the general election as he had not won his own party's nomination.