2018 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election

The 2018 California Superintendent of Public Instruction primary election was held on June 5, 2018, to elect the Superintendent of Public Instruction of California. Unlike most other elections in California, the superintendent is not elected under the state's "top-two primary". Instead, the officially nonpartisan position is elected via a general election, with a runoff held on November 6, 2018, because no candidate received a majority of the vote.

2018 California Superintendent of Public Instruction election

June 5 and November 6, 2018

Candidate Tony Thurmond Marshall Tuck Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan First round vote 2,136,919 2,223,784 First round percentage 35.6% 37.0% Runoff vote 5,385,912 5,198,738 Runoff percentage 50.9% 49.1%   Candidate Lily Ploski Steven Ireland Party Nonpartisan Nonpartisan First round vote 984,932 658,786 First round percentage 16.4% 11.0% Runoff vote Eliminated Eliminated Runoff percentage Eliminated Eliminated

First round county results Runoff county results Map key Thurmond   20–30%   30–40%   50–60%   60–70% Tuck   30–40%   40–50%   50–60%   60–70%   70–80% Ploski   30–40%

SPI before election Tom Torlakson Nonpartisan Elected SPI Tony Thurmond Nonpartisan

Elections in California
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The previous incumbent, Superintendent Tom Torlakson, was term-limited, so could not seek re-election to a third term. As no candidate received a majority in the general election, a runoff was held between two Democrats: Marshall Tuck and Tony Thurmond. Thurmond narrowly defeated Tuck.