Very few California minor party members ever appear on the general election ballot for U.S. House or state legislature. With only two exceptions, in the 15-year history of the top-two system in California, the only minor party members who have qualified for the general election are those who ran in a primary in which one major party didn’t run anyone. This year there were four such candidates, all on the November ballot for legislature. Three of them broke long-standing records for their parties.

Kevin Akin, chair of the Peace & Freedom Party, ran in the 63rd Assembly seat, and polled 57,031 votes, which was 43.36%. This is the highest percentage of the vote any Peace & Freedom Party member has ever received in a California partisan race. Here is his campaign website. The California election results are still not complete. Akin’s only opponent was the Republican incumbent.

William Brown, Jr. of the Libertarian Party, ran in the 12th State Senate district. He polled 106,614 votes, 37.92%. This was the highest percentage for a California Libertarian Party nominee running in a partisan election since 1991, when David McCann, running in a special election, received 37.93%. Of course it is possible that when all the votes have been counted, Brown will end up with a slightly higher percentage that exceeds the 1991 showing. Brown’s opponent was a Republican. Here is Brown’s website.

Victor Hernandez, of the Green Party, ran in the 59th Assembly district. He received 73,844 votes, 40.36%. This is the highest percentage for a California Green in a partisan race since 1999, when Audie Bock was elected to the Assembly with 50.55%. Hernandez’s opponent was a Republican. Here is the Hernandez website.

The fourth minor party member on the California ballot, Green Party member Mark Rendon, running for Assembly, 14th district, got 36,443 votes, 21.5%, against a Democrat. Here is the Rendon website.