2024 California State Senate election

The 2024 California State Senate election took place on Tuesday, November 5, 2024, with the primary election being held on March 5, 2024. Voters in the 20 odd-numbered districts of the California State Senate will elect their representatives. The elections coincided with the elections for other offices, including the state Assembly.

There were 16 Democratic-held senate seats up for election in 2024, 3 Republican-held seats, and 1 open seat with no incumbent. Two Democratic incumbents, Dave Min and Josh Newman, were drawn into the same district during redistricting. In August 2024, Republicans gained one seat due to senator Marie Alvarado-Gil switching parties, increasing the size of their caucus to nine.

Republicans flipped one seat in the general election, doing so for the first time in a presidential election year since 1980.

Outgoing incumbents

Democrats

3rd: Bill Dodd was term-limited.
5th: Susan Eggman was term-limited.
7th: Nancy Skinner was term-limited.
9th: Steve Glazer was retiring.
25th: Anthony Portantino was term limited (ran for U.S. House).
31st: Richard Roth was term-limited.
35th: Steven Bradford was term-limited.
37th: Dave Min retired to run for U.S. House.
39th: Toni Atkins was term-limited.

Republicans

1st: Brian Dahle was term-limited.
21st: Scott Wilk was term-limited.

Predictions

Summary by district

† - Incumbent not seeking re-election

District 1

The 1st district encompassed most of the Redwood Forest region and northwestern Sierra Nevada to include Siskiyou, Modoc, Lassen, Shasta, Tehama, Plumas, Glenn, Colusa, Butte, Sutter, Yuba, Nevada, and Sierra counties, along with eastern Placer County. The incumbent was Republican Brian Dahle of Bieber, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Megan Dahle (Republican), state assemblywoman for the 1st district (2019–2024) and wife of incumbent Brian Dahle
David Fennell (Republican), venture capitalist and candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California in 2014, 2018, and 2022

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 3

Including the eastern California Wine Country and University of California, Davis, the 3rd district consists of Napa, Yolo, and Solano counties. The incumbent is Democrat Bill Dodd of Napa, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Thomas Bogue (Republican), Dixon city councilor
Christopher Cabaldon (Democratic), former mayor of West Sacramento (1998–2020)
Jackie Elward (Democratic), Rohnert Park city councilor
Jimih Jones (Republican), automotive parts advisor and candidate for California's 4th congressional district in 2022
Rozzana Verder-Aliga (Democratic), Vallejo city councilor

Withdrawn

Alfredo Pedroza (Democratic), Napa County supervisor (2015–present)

Declined

Martha Guerrero (Democratic), mayor of West Sacramento (2020–present) (endorsed Verder-Aliga)

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 5

The 5th district encompasses the northern Central Valley, containing San Joaquin County and the northeastern portion of Alameda County, including the communities of Midway, Altamont, Ulmar, Livermore, Dublin, Pleasanton, and Sunol. The incumbent was Democrat Susan Eggman of Stockton, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Jerry McNerney (Democratic), former U.S. representative for California's 9th congressional district (2007–2023)
Jim Shoemaker (Republican), businessman and candidate for California's 9th congressional district in 2022
Carlos Villapudua (Democratic), state assemblyman for the 13th district

Withdrew

Rhodesia Ransom (Democratic), former Tracy city councilor (ran for state assembly)
Edith Villapudua (Democratic), realtor and wife of state assemblyman Carlos Villapudua (ran for state assembly)
Miguel Villapudua (Democratic), San Joaquin County supervisor and cousin of state assemblyman Carlos Villapudua

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 7

The East Bay-based 7th district consists of the urban, coastal northwestern portion of Alameda County, including Alameda, Oakland, Piedmont, Emeryville, Berkeley, El Cerrito, and Richmond. The incumbent was Democrat Nancy Skinner of Berkeley, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Jesse Arreguín (Democratic), mayor of Berkeley (2016–2024)
Jovanka Beckles (Democratic), member of the AC Transit Board of Directors and former Richmond city councilor
Dan Kalb (Democratic), Oakland city councilor (2013–present)
Kathryn Lybarger (Democratic), president of California Labor Federation
Jeanne Solnordal (Republican), broker
Sandré Swanson (Democratic), former state assemblyman (2006–2012) and runner-up for this district in 2016

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 9

The 9th district encompasses most of Contra Costa County, including Concord, Antioch, Pittsburg, Bay Point, Martinez, Pleasant Hill, Walnut Creek, Lafayette, Danville, San Ramon, and Orinda, along with Castro Valley, San Lorenzo, and San Leandro in Alameda County. The incumbent was Democrat Steve Glazer of Orinda, who was not seeking reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Tim Grayson (Democratic), state assemblyman for the 15th district
Joseph Grcar (Republican), computational scientist and perennial candidate (write-in)
David Minor (Republican) (write-in)
Marisol Rubio (Democratic), San Ramon city councilor and candidate for this district in 2020

Declined

Steve Glazer (Democratic), incumbent state senator

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 11

The 11th district consists of San Francisco County and Daly City at the northern tip of San Mateo County. The incumbent was Democrat Scott Wiener of San Francisco, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Yvette Corkrean (Republican), nurse
Cynthia Cravens (Democratic), community volunteer
Scott Wiener (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Jing Chao Xiong (No party preference/Independent), delivery driver

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 13

The 13th district encompassed the southern Bay Area to take in most of San Mateo County, including the communities of South San Francisco, Pacifica, San Bruno, Millbrae, Burlingame, San Mateo, Foster City, El Granada, Half Moon Bay, San Carlos, Redwood City, Woodside, and Menlo Park, along with the western Santa Clara County communities of Palo Alto, Stanford, Mountain View, Cupertino, Saratoga, and Los Gatos. The incumbent was first-term Democrat Josh Becker of Menlo Park, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Josh Becker (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Alexander Glew (Republican), engineer
Christina Laskowski (Republican), investment banker

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 15

The 15th district encompassed central and eastern Santa Clara County. Most of the district's population lived in San Jose, but it also included some outlying areas like Mount Hamilton, Coyote, Sveadal, Morgan Hill, and Gilroy. The incumbent was first-term Democrat Dave Cortese of San Jose, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Dave Cortese (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Robert Howell (Republican), president of Exatron and runner-up for California Insurance Commissioner in 2022
Tony Loaiza (Republican), software executive

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 17

The 17th district consisted of the Big Sur section of the Central Coast, including Santa Cruz. San Benito, and Monterey counties, along with northern San Luis Obispo County. The incumbent was Democrat John Laird of Santa Cruz, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

John Laird (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Michael Oxford (Libertarian), AV technician
Eric Tao (Republican), Cal State Monterey Bay computer science professor
Tony Virrueta (Republican), veterans advocate

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 19

The 19th district encompassed much of the Mojave Desert as well as most of the Inland Empire's land area. It includes the central San Bernardino County communities of Barstow, Hodge, Apple Valley, Crestline, Big Bear City, Grand Terrace, Loma Linda, Redlands, Yucaipa, Yucca Valley, Joshua Tree, and Twentynine Palms, and the central Riverside County communities of Beaumont, Banning, Desert Hot Springs, Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, and La Quinta. The incumbent was first-term Republican Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh of Yucaipa and the former 23rd district, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Rosilicie Ochoa Bogh (Republican), incumbent state senator
Lisa Middleton (Democratic), Palm Springs city councilor

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 21

The 21st district consisted of Santa Barbara County and southern San Luis Obispo County, along with the northern and western portions of Ventura County, including Ojai, Fillmore, Santa Paula, Ventura, Oxnard, Camarillo, and Port Hueneme. The incumbent was first-term Democrat Monique Limón of Santa Barbara and the former 19th district, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Monique Limón (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Elijah Mack (Republican), college student

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 23

The 23rd district encompasses the Antelope Valley and Victor Valley. It includes the northern Los Angeles County communities of Santa Clarita, Quartz Hill, Lancaster, Palmdale, Acton, and Lake Los Angeles, along with the western San Bernardino County communities of Phelan, Adelanto, Victorville, and Hesperia. The incumbent is Republican Scott Wilk of Santa Clarita and the former 21st district, who is term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Blanca Azucena Gomez (Democratic), Victorville city councilor and candidate for California's 23rd congressional district in 2022
James "DJ" Hamburger (Republican), Army National Guard officer
Ollie McCaulley (Democratic), acquisition training executive and U.S. Marine Corps veteran
Kipp Mueller (Democratic), civil rights attorney and runner-up for the 21st district in 2020
Suzette Martinez Valladares (Republican), former state assemblywoman for the 38th district (2020–2022)

Withdrawn

Eric Ohlsen (Democratic), Palmdale city councilor

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 25

The 25th district encompasses the western San Gabriel Valley in Los Angeles County, including the communities of Glendale, La Cañada Flintridge, Altadena, Pasadena, South Pasadena, San Marino, Alhambra, Monterey Park, San Gabriel, Rosemead, Temple City, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, Monrovia, the east San Gabriel Valley city of Glendora, and the Pomona Valley city of Claremont. The incumbent was Democrat Anthony Portantino of La Cañada Flintridge, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Elizabeth Wong Ahlers (Republican), Crescenta Valley town councilor
Sandra Armenta (Democratic), Rosemead city councilor
Teddy Choi (Democratic), insurance agent
Sasha Renée Pérez (Democratic), mayor of Alhambra
Yvonne Yiu (Democratic), Monterey Park city councilor and candidate for state controller in 2022

Withdrawn

John Harabedian (Democratic), former mayor of Sierra Madre (2012–2020) (ran for state assembly)

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 27

The 27th district consisted of the eastern Ventura County communities of Moorpark, Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Santa Susana, Hidden Valley, and Lake Sherwood, and the western San Fernando Valley communities of Granada Hills, Porter Ranch, Chatsworth, West Hills, Woodland Hills, and Tarzana in the northwestern corner of Los Angeles. The incumbent was Democrat Henry Stern of Malibu, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Susan Collins (Democratic), Sherman Oaks neighborhood councilor
Henry Stern (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Lucie Volotzky (Republican), furniture store owner and runner-up for California's 32nd congressional district in 2022

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 29

The new 29th district encompasses the urban southwestern portion of San Bernardino County, including the cities of San Bernardino, Highland, Colton, Rialto, Bloomington, Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga, and Upland. The district had no incumbent.

Candidates

Carlos Garcia (Republican), Upland city councilor
Kathleen Torres Hazleton (Republican), retired nurse midwife and U.S. Air Force veteran
Jason O'Brien (Democratic), LAPD detective and former Fontana Unified School District Board member
Eloise Gómez Reyes (Democratic), state assemblywoman for the 50th district (2018–2024)

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 31

The 31st district encompassed the urban northwestern portion of Riverside County, including the cities of Riverside, Corona, Eastvale, Jurupa Valley, Moreno Valley, Mead Valley, Perris, and Nuevo. The incumbent was Democrat Richard Roth of Riverside, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Sabrina Cervantes (Democratic), state assemblywoman for the 58th district (2016–2024)
Angelo Farooq (Democratic), president of the Riverside Unified School District Board
Cynthia Navarro (Republican), educator

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 33

The 33rd district consisted of the southern Gateway Cities of Los Angeles County, including Long Beach, Signal Hill, Lakewood, Paramount, Lynwood, South Gate, Cudahy, Huntington Park, Bell, Maywood, Bell Gardens, and Commerce. The incumbent was Democrat Lena Gonzalez of Long Beach, who was up for reelection in 2024.

Candidates

Lena Gonzalez (Democratic), incumbent state senator
Sharifah Hardie (Republican), business consultant
Mario Paz (Republican), accountant

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 35

The 35th district consisted of the southwestern Los Angeles County communities of Inglewood, Hawthorne, Lawndale, Westmont, Willowbrook, Compton, and Carson, and the Los Angeles neighborhoods of Watts, Harbor City, Wilmington, and San Pedro. The incumbent was Democrat Steven Bradford of Gardena, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Michelle Chambers (Democratic), former Compton city councilor
Lamar Lyons (Democratic), financial consultant
Nilo Vega Michelin (Democratic), El Camino College trustee and high school history teacher
Alex Monteiro (Democratic), Hawthorne city councilor
Laura Richardson (Democratic), former U.S. Representative for California's 37th congressional district (2007–2013)
Albert Robles (Democratic), former mayor of Carson (2014–2020)
James Spencer (Republican), environmental consultant
Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams (Democratic), member of the Los Angeles County Citizens Economy and Efficiency Commission

Withdrawn

Darryn Harris (Democratic), former chief of staff to then-U.S. Representative Karen Bass

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 37

The new 37th district encompassed much of central Orange County, including Orange, El Modena, Villa Park. Tustin, Irvine, Costa Mesa, Lake Forest, El Toro, Laguna Woods, Aliso Viejo, and Laguna Niguel. The incumbents in this area were second-term Democrat Josh Newman of Fullerton and the former 29th district, and first-term Democrat Dave Min of Irvine and the former 37th district.

Candidates

Gabrielle Ashbaugh (Democratic), business owner
Steven Choi (Republican), former state assemblyman for the 68th district (2016–2022) and former mayor of Irvine (2012–2016)
Leticia Correa (Democratic), neuro-surgery technologist
Jacob Niles Creer (Democratic), surgical coordinator
Anthony Kuo (Republican), former Irvine city councilor (2018–2022)
Stephanie Le (Democratic), medical authorization coordinator
Crystal Miles (Republican), Villa Park city councilor
Alex Mohajer (Democratic), president of Stonewall Democrats
Josh Newman (Democratic), state senator for the 29th district (2016–2018, 2020–2024)
Guy Selleck (Republican), business owner and U.S. Air Force veteran
Jenny Suarez (Democratic), respiratory therapist

Withdrawn

Ali Kowsari (Republican), business professor at Santa Ana College

Declined

Dave Min (Democratic), incumbent state senator for the 37th district (2020–2024) (ran for U.S. House)

Endorsements

Fundraising

Results

District 39

The new 39th district encompassed much of San Diego, including the neighborhoods of Point Loma, Ocean Beach, Hillcrest, North Park, Linda Vista, San Carlos, Encanto, and Paradise Hills, along with the San Diego suburbs of Coronado, La Mesa, Lemon Grove, El Cajon, La Presa, Casa de Oro, Rancho San Diego, Bostonia, and Crest. The incumbent was Democrat Toni Atkins, who was term-limited in 2024.

Candidates

Bob Divine (Republican), retiree
Akilah Weber (Democratic), state assemblywoman for the 79th district (2021–2024)

Withdrawn

Nathan Fletcher (Democratic), chair of the San Diego County Board of Supervisors and former Republican state assemblyman (2008–2012)