Fellow Democrat Dianne Feinstein, California's senior senator, won the special election and was inaugurated in November 1992.

In the primary election in June, Boxer defeated McCarthy and Levine with 43.6% of the vote.

Political operative Bob Mulholland disrupted a campaign appearance with a large poster advertising a strip club shouting "Should the voters of California elect someone who frequently travels the strip joints of Hollywood?"

With press coverage of the story, Herschensohn spent the waning days of the campaign denying related allegations.

When the votes were cast and counted, Boxer won the election by five points.