The Democratic incumbent, Jerry Brown, defeated the Republican nominee Attorney General Evelle J.

In the Republican gubernatorial primary, California Attorney General Evelle Younger (who was the only Republican elected to a statewide office in the post-Watergate Democratic onslaught in the 1974 California general election) defeated Ed Davis (State Senator and former Los Angeles Police Chief), Ken Maddy (State Senate Minority Leader from Fresno), and Pete Wilson (mayor of San Diego).

The primary battle left Younger short of money, while Brown had a much larger campaign fund and won reelection in a landslide.

Jerry Brown's landslide victory ended three of the remaining four very long streaks of Republican dominance in California counties.

Brown was the first Democrat to ever carry Alpine County in a gubernatorial election since its establishment in 1864.