California State Senate

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California State Senate
SLP-Infobox Image-Color.png
General Information
Party control:   Democrat
Session start:   December 2, 2024
Session end:   September 12, 2025
Term length:   4 years
Term limits:   12 years[1][2]
Redistricting:  Commission
Salary:   $128,215/year + per diem
Members
Total:  40
Democrats:  30
Republicans:  10
Other:  0
Vacancies:  0
Leadership
President:   Eleni Kounalakis (D)
Maj. Leader:   TBD
Min. Leader:   Brian Jones (California) (R)
Elections
Last election:  November 5, 2024
Next election:  November 3, 2026

The California State Senate is the upper chamber of the California State Legislature. Alongside the California State Assembly, it forms the legislative branch of the California state government and works alongside the governor of California to create laws and establish a state budget. Legislative authority and responsibilities of the California State Senate include passing bills on public policy matters, setting levels for state spending, raising and lowering taxes, and voting to uphold or override gubernatorial vetoes.

The California State Senate meets in the state capitol building in Sacramento, California.

  • Twenty seats out of the California State Senate's 40 seats were up for election in 2024. Democrats lost one seat for a 30-9 majority.
  • Twenty seats out of the California State Senate's 40 seats were up for election in 2022. The chamber's Democratic supermajority increased from 31-9 to 32-8.
  • California has a Democratic trifecta. The Democratic Party controls the office of governor and both chambers of the state legislature.

  • This page contains the following information on the California State Senate.

    Party control

    Current partisan control

    The table below shows the partisan breakdown of the California State Senate as of May 2025:

    Party As of May 2025
         Democratic Party 30
         Republican Party 10
         Other 0
         Vacancies 0
    Total 40

    Members

    Leadership

    The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Senate but only casts a vote in the case of a tie. The president pro tempore is the presiding officer.[3]

    Leadership and members

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    Office Name Party Date assumed office
    California State Senate District 1 Megan Dahle Republican December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 2 Mike McGuire Democratic December 1, 2014
    California State Senate District 3 Christopher Cabaldon Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 4 Marie Alvarado-Gil Republican December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 5 Jerry McNerney Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 6 Roger Niello Republican December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 7 Jesse Arreguín Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 8 Angelique Ashby Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 9 Tim Grayson Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 10 Aisha Wahab Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 11 Scott Wiener Democratic 2016
    California State Senate District 12 Shannon Grove Republican December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 13 Josh Becker Democratic December 7, 2020
    California State Senate District 14 Anna Caballero Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 15 Dave Cortese Democratic December 7, 2020
    California State Senate District 16 Melissa Hurtado Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 17 John Laird Democratic December 7, 2020
    California State Senate District 18 Steve Padilla Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 19 Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh Republican December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 20 Caroline Menjivar Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 21 S. Monique Limón Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 22 Susan Rubio Democratic December 3, 2018
    California State Senate District 23 Suzette Martinez Valladares Republican December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 24 Ben Allen Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 25 Sasha Renée Pérez Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 26 Maria Elena Durazo Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 27 Henry Stern Democratic 2016
    California State Senate District 28 Lola Smallwood-Cuevas Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 29 Eloise Gomez Reyes Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 30 Bob Archuleta Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 31 Sabrina Cervantes Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 32 Kelly Seyarto Republican December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 33 Lena Gonzalez Democratic June 12, 2019
    California State Senate District 34 Tom Umberg Democratic 2018
    California State Senate District 35 Laura Richardson Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 36 Tony Strickland Republican March 11, 2025
    California State Senate District 37 Steven S. Choi Republican December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 38 Catherine Blakespear Democratic December 5, 2022
    California State Senate District 39 Akilah Weber Democratic December 2, 2024
    California State Senate District 40 Brian Jones Republican December 5, 2022


    Salaries

    See also: Comparison of state legislative salaries
    State legislative salaries, 2024[4]
    SalaryPer diem
    $128,215/year$214/day

    Swearing in dates

    See also: When state legislators assume office after a general election

    California legislators assume office the first Monday in the December following their election.[5]

    Membership qualifications

    See also: State legislature candidate requirements by state

    According to Article IV of the California Constitution:

    A person is ineligible to be a member of the Legislature unless the person is an elector and has been a resident of the legislative district for one year, and a citizen of the United States and a resident of California for 3 years, immediately preceding the election, and service of the full term of office to which the person is seeking to be elected would not exceed the maximum years of service permitted by subdivision (a) of this section.[6][7]


    Historical party control

    Democrats won control of the California State Senate in 1974. In 2024, they won a 30-10 majority.

    The table below shows the partisan history of the California Senate following every general election from 1992 to 2024. All data from 2006 or earlier comes from Michael Dubin's Party Affiliations in the State Legislatures (McFarland Press, 2007). Data after 2006 was compiled by Ballotpedia staff.

    California State Senate election results: 1992-2024*

    Year '92 '94 '96 '98 '00 '02 '04 '06 '08 '10 '12 '14 '16 '18 '20 '22 '24
    Democrats 23 21 24 25 26 26 25 25 26 25 26 25 27 29 30 32 30
    Republicans 14 17 15 15 14 14 15 15 14 14 12 14 13 11 9 8 10
    *The total number of seats does not always equal 40 due to vacancies in the chamber.

    Before 1992

    Republicans controlled the state Senate with majorities from 1896 to 1956. Democrats split the chamber 20-20 in the 1956 elections, and they won a majority in 1958. From 1958 to 2022, Democrats controlled the chamber except for when it was split evenly in 1968 and 1972, both years when native Californian Richard Nixon (R) was elected president.


    Trifecta history

    A state government trifecta is a term that describes single party government, when one political party holds the governor's office and has majorities in both chambers of the legislature in a state government. Between 1992 and 2023, California was under the following types of trifecta control:

    • Democratic trifecta: 1999-2003, 2011-2023
    • Republican trifecta: None
    • Divided government: 1992-1998, 2004-2010

    California Party Control: 1992-2025
    Twenty years with Democratic trifectas  •  No Republican trifectas
    Scroll left and right on the table below to view more years.

    Year 92 93 94 95 96 97 98 99 00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25
    Governor R R R R R R R D D D D D R R R R R R R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Senate D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D
    Assembly D D D S R D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D D


    Elections

    Elections by year

    California state senators serve staggered, four-year terms and half of the Senate is up for election every two years. California holds elections for its legislature in even years.

    2026

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2026

    Elections for the California State Senate will take place in 2026. The general election is on November 3, 2026.

    2024

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2024

    Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2024. The general election was on November 5, 2024. The primary was March 5, 2024. The filing deadline was December 8, 2023.

    In the 2024 elections, Democrats lost one seat but maintained their majority in the California State Senate. The Democratic majority went from 31-9 to 30-10.

    California State Senate
    Party As of November 5, 2024 After November 6, 2024
         Democratic Party 31 30
         Republican Party 9 9
         Vacancy 0 1
    Total 40 40

    2022

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2022

    Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2022. The general election was on November 8, 2022. A primary was scheduled for June 7, 2022. The filing deadline was March 11, 2022.

    In the 2022 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the California State Senate from 31-9 to 32-8.

    California State Senate
    Party As of November 8, 2022 After November 9, 2022
         Democratic Party 31 32
         Republican Party 9 8
    Total 40 40

    2020

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2020

    Elections for the office of California State Senate took place in 2020. The general election was held on November 3, 2020. A primary was scheduled for March 3, 2020. The filing deadline was December 6, 2019.

    In the 2020 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the California State Senate from 28-11 to 30-9.

    California State Senate
    Party As of November 3, 2020 After November 4, 2020
         Democratic Party 28 30
         Republican Party 11 9
         Vacancy 1 1
    Total 40 40

    2018

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2018

    Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2018. A top-two primary election took place on June 5, 2018, and the general election was held on November 6, 2018. The candidate filing deadline was March 9, 2018. The filing deadline for write-in candidates was May 22, 2018.[8]

    In the 2018 elections, Democrats increased their majority in the California State Senate from 26-14 to 29-11.

    California State Senate
    Party As of November 6, 2018 After November 7, 2018
         Democratic Party 26 29
         Republican Party 14 11
    Total 40 40

    2016

    See also: California State Senate elections, 2016

    Elections for the California State Senate took place in 2016. The primary election was held on June 7, 2016, and the general election was held on November 8, 2016. The candidate filing deadline was February 25, 2016, for candidates filing with signatures. The deadline for candidates using a filing fee to qualify was March 11, 2016.[9] A total of 20 seats out of the 40 seats in the California State Senate were up for election in 2016.

    Heading into the election, Democrats held a 26-13 majority. Democrats gained one seat in the election, giving them a 27-13 majority.

    California State Senate
    Party As of November 7, 2016 After November 8, 2016
         Democratic Party 26 27
         Republican Party 13 13
         Vacancy 1 0
    Total 40 40

    Term limits

    See also: State legislatures with term limits

    The California Legislature is one of 16 state legislatures with term limits. Since the passage of Prop 28 in 2012, legislators first elected on or after November 6, 2012, are limited to a maximum of 12 years. Prop 140, passed in 1990, affects any members elected prior to November 6, 2012, and limits them to a maximum of two four-year terms (eight years total).[16]


    Vacancies

    See also: How vacancies are filled in state legislatures

    If there is a vacancy in the California State Legislature, the governor must call for a special election. The governor must call the election within 14 calendar days of the vacancy. No special election shall be held if the vacancy occurs after the nominating deadline has passed in the final year of the term of office.[17]

    DocumentIcon.jpg See sources: California Code, 1773 and California Cons. Art. IV, § 2

    District map

    See also: California state legislative districts

    The state of California has 40 state Senate districts. Each district elects one senator.


    Use the interactive map below to find your district.



    Redistricting

    See also: Redistricting in California

    In California, a non-politician commission draws both congressional and state legislative district lines. Established in 2008 by ballot initiative, the commission comprises 14 members: five Democrats, five Republicans, and four belonging to neither party. A panel of state auditors selects the pool of nominees from which the commissioners are appointed. This pool comprises 20 Democrats, 20 Republicans, and 20 belonging to neither party. The majority and minority leaders of both chambers of the state legislature may each remove two members from each of the aforementioned groups. The first eight commission members are selected at random from the remaining nominees. These first eight comprise three Democrats, three Republicans, and two belonging to neither party. The first eight commissioners appoint the remaining six, which must include two Democrats, two Republicans, and two belonging to neither party.[18]

    Commissioners must meet the following requirements in order to serve:[18]

    1. Members must have voted in at least two of the last three statewide elections.
    2. Members cannot have switched party affiliation for at least five years.
    3. "Neither commissioners nor immediate family may have been, within 10 years of appointment, a candidate for federal or state office or member of a party central committee; an officer, employee, or paid consultant to a federal or state candidate or party; a registered lobbyist or paid legislative staff; or a donor of more than $2,000 to an elected candidate."
    4. Members cannot be "staff, consultants or contractors for state or federal government" while serving as commissioners. The same prohibition applies to the family of commission members.

    In order to approve a redistricting plan, nine of the commission's 14 members must vote for it. These nine must include three Democrats, three Republicans, and three belonging to neither party. Maps drawn by the commission may be overturned by public referendum. In the event that a map is overturned by the public, the California Supreme Court must appoint a group to draw a new map.[18]

    The California Constitution requires that districts be contiguous. Further, the state constitution mandates that "to the extent possible, [districts] must ... preserve the geographic integrity of cities, counties, neighborhoods and communities of interest." Districts must also "encourage compactness." State Senate and Assembly districts should be nested within each other where possible.[18]

    2020

    See also: Redistricting in California after the 2020 census

    The California Citizens Redistricting Commission voted 14-0 in favor of a new state Assembly and Senate district maps on December 20, 2021, and delivered those maps to the secretary of state on December 27, 2021.[19][20] These maps took effect for California's 2022 state legislative elections.

    District map after 2020 redistricting

    Below is the state Senate map in effect before and after the 2020 redistricting cycle.

    California State Senate Districts
    until December 1, 2024

    Click a district to compare boundaries.

    California State Senate Districts
    starting December 2, 2024

    Click a district to compare boundaries.


    2010

    See also: Redistricting in California after the 2010 census

    The redistricting commission had until August 15, 2011 to create the maps that would govern the Congressional and legislative districts until 2020. The Commission successfully certified its final maps and handed them over to the Secretary of State on August 15, 2011.[21] These maps went into effect in time for the June 5, 2012 primary.[22]

    Sessions

    Legislation

    The legislation tracker below displays all legislation that the California State Senate has approved in its most recent legislative session—this includes legislation that has been sent from the Senate to the House and legislation that has already been approved by both chambers and signed by the governor. The table below includes the bill number, its name, progress, most recent action date, and sponsor. Scroll up and down and side to side to see more. Click the bill number to read the bill text and see its voting history. Click the headings to sort the content. Rearrange the order of the headings by clicking and dragging them. Click the magnifying glass in the bottom left corner to search for specific terms. The legislation tracker is maintained and updated by BillTrack50.

    Dates of legislative sessions in California by year

    2025

    See also: 2025 California legislative session and Dates of 2025 state legislative sessions

    In 2025, the legislature was scheduled to convene on December 2, 2024, and adjourn on September 12, 2025.



    About legislative sessions in California

    The Tenth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution declares that any power not already given to the federal government is reserved to the states and the people.[32] State governments across the country use this authority to hold legislative sessions where a state's elected representatives meet for a period of time to draft and vote on legislation and set state policies on issues such as taxation, education, and government spending. The different types of legislation passed by a legislature may include resolutions, legislatively referred constitutional amendments, and bills that become law.

    Article IV of the California Constitution establishes when the California State Legislature—of which the Senate is a part—is to be in session. Section 3 of Article IV states that the legislature is to meet in regular session on the first Monday of December in each even-numbered year to organize. The legislature adjourns by November 30 of the following even-numbered year.

    Section 3 also gives the governor of California the power to call special sessions of the legislature.

    Legislative roles and procedures

    Every state legislature throughout the country features its own internal procedures that it uses to govern itself and how it interacts with other parts of state government. Ballotpedia's coverage of internal state legislative procedures includes veto overrides, the role of the legislature in the state budget, term limits, and procedures for filling membership vacancies.

    Veto overrides

    Veto Override Graphic-Democratic Party.png

    See also: Veto overrides in state legislatures

    State legislatures can override governors' vetoes. Depending on the state, this can be done during the regular legislative session, in a special session following the adjournment of the regular session, or during the next legislative session. The rules for legislative overrides of gubernatorial vetoes in California are listed below.

    How many legislators are required to vote for an override? Two-thirds of members in both chambers.

    Two-thirds of members in both chambers must vote to override a veto, which is 54 of the 80 members in the California State Assembly and 27 of the 40 members in the California State Senate. California is one of 36 states that requires a two-thirds vote from both of its legislative chambers to override a veto.

    Are there other special rules?

    The California Legislature has 60 days to override a veto after it has been returned by the governor.[33]

    Authority: Article IV, Section 10 of the California Constitution.

    "Each bill passed by the Legislature shall be presented to the Governor. It becomes a statute if it is signed by the Governor. The Governor may veto it by returning it with any objections to the house of origin, which shall enter the objections in the journal and proceed to reconsider it. If each house then passes the bill by rollcall vote entered in the journal, two-thirds of the membership concurring, it becomes a statute."

    Role in state budget

    See also: California state budget and finances
    California on Public Policy Logo-one line-on Ballotpedia.png
    Check out Ballotpedia articles about policy in your state on:
    BudgetsCivil libertiesEducationElectionsEnergyEnvironmentHealthcarePensions

    The state operates on an annual budget cycle. The sequence of key events in the budget process is as follows:[34]

    1. Budget instructions are sent to state agencies beginning in April.
    2. Agencies submit their budget requests to the governor in September.
    3. The governor submits his or her proposed budget to the state legislature in January.
    4. The legislature adopts a budget in June. A majority is required to pass a budget. The fiscal year begins July 1.

    California is one of 44 states in which the governor has line item veto authority.[34][35]

    The governor is required to submit a balanced budget to the legislature. In turn, the legislature is required to adopt a balanced budget.[34]

    Committees

    See also: List of committees in California state government

    Every state legislature and state legislative chamber in the country contains several legislative committees. These committees are responsible for studying, amending, and voting on legislation before it reaches the floor of a chamber for a full vote. The different types of committees include standing committees, select or special, and joint.

    • Standing committees are generally permanent committees, the names of which sometimes change from session to session.
    • Select or special committees are temporary committees formed to deal with specific issues such as recent legislation, major public policy or proposals, or investigations.
    • Joint committees are committees that feature members of both chambers of a legislature.

    Ballotpedia covers standing and joint committees. The California State Senate has 22 standing committees:


    Constitutional amendments

    In every state but Delaware, voter approval is required to enact a constitutional amendment. In each state, the legislature has a process for referring constitutional amendments before voters. In 18 states, initiated constitutional amendments can be put on the ballot through a signature petition drive. There are also many other types of statewide measures.

    The methods in which the California Constitution can be amended:

    See also: Article II and Article XVIII of the California Constitution and Laws governing ballot measures in California

    The California Constitution can be amended in these ways:

    • Two-thirds of the membership of each chamber of the California State Legislature must propose an amendment, which then goes on a statewide ballot to be ratified or rejected by the state's voters.
    • The state legislature is allowed to propose revisions (not just amendments) to the constitution.
    • If measures conflict, and they both get more than 50 percent of the vote, the one with the highest number of votes prevails.
    • Ratified amendments take effect the day after the election.


    See also

    Elections California State Government State Legislatures State Politics
    Ballotpedia Elections Badge-VOTE-no shadow-Square.jpg
    California State Flag-Close Up.jpg
    State Houses-Tile image.png
    State Courts-Tile image.png

    External links

    Footnotes

    1. According to the Chief Clerk of the California State Assembly, "Senators who were first elected to the State Legislature on or after the passage of Proposition 28 may serve 12 years in the Senate, or a combination of service in the Assembly and Senate as long as the combined terms do not exceed 12 years. Senators elected to the State Legislature prior to the passage of Proposition 28 are bound by two four-year terms in the State Senate and three two-year terms in the State Assembly established by the passage of Proposition 140, in 1990."
    2. California State Assembly Office of the Chief Clerk, "Elected Officials," accessed January 22, 2019
    3. California State Legislature, "Leadership," accessed February 9, 2021
    4. National Conference of State Legislatures, "2024 Legislator Compensation," August 21, 2024
    5. California Constitution, "Article 4, Section 2. (a)(3)," accessed November 1, 2021
    6. California Legislature, "Qualifications for State Legislature," accessed February 10, 2023
    7. Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
    8. California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed June 19, 2017
    9. California Secretary of State, "Key Dates and Deadlines," accessed April 18, 2017
    10. Follow the Money, "California Senate 2010 Campaign Contributions," accessed April 23, 2015
    11. Follow the Money, "California 2008 Candidates," accessed June 18, 2013
    12. Follow the Money, "California 2006 Candidates," accessed June 18, 2013
    13. Follow the Money, "California 2004 Candidates," accessed June 18, 2013
    14. Follow the Money, "California 2002 Candidates," accessed June 18, 2013
    15. Follow the Money, "California 2000 Candidates," accessed June 18, 2013
    16. California Legislative Information, "Article IV Legislative (Sec. 1 - Sec. 28)," accessed February 9, 2021
    17. California Legislative Information, "California Code," accessed February 9, 2021 (Statute, 1773-California Government Code)
    18. 18.0 18.1 18.2 18.3 All About Redistricting, "California," accessed April 21, 2015
    19. Politico, "California’s new congressional map boosts Democrats," Dec. 21, 2021
    20. Lake County News, "California Citizens Redistricting Commission delivers maps to California Secretary of State," Dec. 28, 2021
    21. California Secretary of State, "California Redistricting"
    22. "Current Status of Commission’s Final Certified District Maps". California Citizens Redistricting Commission. 2011. http://wedrawthelines.ca.gov/maps-final-drafts.html. Retrieved on 20 February 2012. 
    23. The Los Angeles Times, "California lawmakers approve $1 billion in funding and legislative hiatus due to coronavirus," March 16, 2020
    24. Politico, "California Legislature plans May 4 return as coronavirus disrupts public life," April 3, 2020
    25. The Sacramento Bee, "Key issues for returning California Legislature," January 5, 2015
    26. acwa.com, "2014 Legislative Year Begins in Sacramento," January 6, 2014
    27. San Francisco Chronicle, "Calif. Democrats ponder their new power," December 2, 2012
    28. ncsl.org, "2011 Legislative Sessions Calendar," accessed April 21, 2015
    29. ncsl.org, "Session dates for California legislature, 2010," accessed April 21, 2015
    30. Office of the Governor, "Gov. Schwarzenegger Declares State of Emergency, Issues Executive Order to Impose Furloughs Due to Cash Crisis Caused By Budget Impasse," accessed August 24, 2010
    31. Office of the Governor, "Executive Order S-12-10," accessed August 24, 2010
    32. Find Law, "Tenth Amendment - U.S. Constitution," accessed May 20, 2017
    33. calafco.org, "Legislative Procedure," accessed July 3, 2017
    34. 34.0 34.1 34.2 National Association of State Budget Officers, "Budget Processes in the States, Spring 2021," accessed January 24, 2023
    35. National Conference of State Legislatures, "Separation of Powers: Executive Veto Powers," accessed January 26, 2024