State senators serve staggered, four-year terms, and the 20 even-numbered districts are on the ballot this year. <\/p>\n
What does a state senator do?Represents constituents, holding meetings in the district and keeping attuned to priorities.\u00a0Participates on some of 22 standing committees, six subcommittees or joint committees, each focused on areas such as labor, health and the environment.Introduces as many as 35 bills per two-year session, as well as specific budget items.<\/p>\n
Why does this race matter?<\/p>\n
State lawmakers draft and pass laws that govern the entire state. <\/p>\n
These laws can provide benefits that aren\u2019t granted by the federal government, such as paid family leave<\/a> or in-state tuition for undocumented college students<\/a>. <\/p>\n They can impose rules that apply statewide, like restrictions on buying guns, or not allowing restaurants<\/a> to provide single-use plastic straws unless a customer requests it. <\/p>\n They can also set minimum standards for the state and allow cities and counties to go further. For instance, the state minimum wage<\/a> is $16.90 an hour, while the city of L.A.’s hourly minimum wage<\/a> is $18.42.<\/p>\n Where are the party lines drawn?<\/p>\n Around three-quarters of lawmakers in both California\u2019s Assembly and state Senate are Democrats. There are still divisions among lawmakers<\/a> that lead to drawn-out arguments and prevent legislation from moving forward. We included information below on voter registration breakdowns<\/a> in each district.<\/p>\n You might recognize their work from \u2026<\/p>\n In recent years, the Legislature has:<\/p>\n Background<\/p>\n What’s at stake in this election is the Democrats’ supermajority.<\/p>\n The current Senate has 30 Democrats and 10 Republicans. If the GOP flips at least four seats, Democrats would lose their two-thirds supermajority, which allows them to pass tax increases<\/a> or put constitutional amendments on the ballot without any Republican votes.<\/p>\n State senators are paid<\/a> $134,694 a year, plus $236 a day for expenses when the Legislature is in session. They also get reimbursed for mileage at the federal rate. Party leaders get higher pay.<\/p>\n These races are decided by a simple majority. Whoever gets more than 50% of the vote wins outright.<\/p>\n About LAist’s voter guides<\/p>\n When information is missing<\/p>\n Some candidates did not reply to our requests for images. Some did not have a campaign website and\/or list of endorsements available online at the time of publication. We will update this guide as more candidate information becomes available.<\/p>\n This guide lists races across Los Angeles and Orange counties. It notes the most-watched seats up for grabs as well as voter registration breakdowns<\/a>. Names appear in the same order as the certified list of candidates<\/a>.<\/p>\n District 20<\/p>\n At a glance: The district includes<\/a> most of the San Fernando Valley, including all of Burbank and the city of San Fernando. <\/p>\n Voter registration: 50.2% Democrat, 24.6% no party preference, 18.5% Republican<\/p>\n Caroline Menjivar (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator, Democrat Tony Rodriguez<\/p>\n No Ballot Designation, Republican District 22<\/p>\n At a glance: This district spans<\/a> L.A. and San Bernardino counties. It goes from South El Monte, up above Azusa into the Angeles National Forest, and down into Ontario.<\/p>\n Voter registration:\u00a045.4% Democrat, 23.7% Republican, 23.5% no party preference<\/p>\n Susan Rubio (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator\/Teacher, Democrat Mike Netter<\/p>\n Small Business Owner, Republican District 24<\/p>\n At a glance: This district covers<\/a> the westside and South Bay in L.A. County. It goes from Rancho Palos Verdes up to the Santa Monica Mountains around Malibu. It also dips east briefly into West Hollywood. The incumbent, Democrat Ben Allen, is termed out.<\/p>\n This is a race to watch because many constituents here were impacted by the Palisades Fire. This race is one of two for state Senate where the California Democratic Party couldn’t decide<\/a> who to endorse.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 49.3% Democratic, 23% no party preference, 20.8% Republican<\/p>\n John M. Erickson<\/p>\n Councilmember, Democrat Brian Goldsmith<\/p>\n Small Business Owner, Democrat District 26<\/p>\n At a glance: This district covers<\/a> the central swath of L.A. County. It includes most of downtown L.A. and fans out into Koreatown, East L.A., Eagle Rock and the Hollywood Hills. The incumbent, Democrat Mar\u00eda Elena Durazo, is not running for reelection.<\/p>\n The California Democratic Party did not reach consensus<\/a> on whom to endorse.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 59.8% Democrat, 23% no party preference, 10.8% Republican<\/p>\n Sara Hernandez<\/p>\n Affordable Housing Advocate, Democrat Sarah Rasc\u00f3n<\/p>\n Environmental Protection Director, Democrat District 28<\/p>\n At a glance: This is the district<\/a> for a majority of the Westside and parts of South L.A. Neighborhoods include Mar Vista, Mid City, downtown L.A., and Vermont Knolls. Aside from the city of L.A., the district also contains all of Culver City and the unincorporated communities of Ladera Heights and View Park-Windsor Hills.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 61.5% Democrat, 21.9% no party preference, 9.7% Republican<\/p>\n Lola Smallwood-Cuevas (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator, Democrat Joe Lisuzzo<\/p>\n LA Neighborhood Councilmember, Republican District 30<\/p>\n At a glance: This district<\/a> sits mostly in L.A. County, but a small portion of Orange County is represented here too. It includes Montebello, Downey, La Mirada, up to La Puente and reaches over to Diamond Bar and Brea.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 46.9% Democrat, 23.5% no party preference, 23.1% Republican<\/p>\n Bob J. Archuleta (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator, Democrat Araceli Martinez<\/p>\n Small Business Owner, Republican District 32<\/p>\n At a glance: This district<\/a> has its proverbial hands in a lot of buckets. It includes Yorba Linda in Orange County, southern parts of Riverside County, Chino Hills in San Bernardino County and northern parts of San Diego County.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 40% Republican, 30.7% Democrat, 21% no party preference<\/p>\n Tiffanie Tate<\/p>\n Doctor\/Educator\/Author, Democrat Kelly Seyarto (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator, Republican District 34<\/p>\n Senate District 34 <\/p>\n (<\/p>\n Courtesy California State Senate<\/p>\n )<\/p>\n At a glance: This district<\/a> is mostly based in northern Orange County but extends into L.A. County’s unincorporated area of South Whittier. It includes nearly all of Santa Ana and about half of Anaheim and Fullerton. The incumbent, Democrat Tom Umberg, is termed out.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 46% Democrat, 24.1% Republican, 23.9% no party preference<\/p>\n Avelino Valencia<\/p>\n California State Assemblymember, Democrat Rhonda Shader<\/p>\n Local Small Businesswoman, Republican District 36<\/p>\n At a glance: This district<\/a> mostly covers the Orange County coastline, but dips into areas at the border of L.A. County. It includes Artesia, Buena Park and Garden Grove, and stretches across Seal Beach through San Clemente.<\/p>\n This is a race to watch because the voter base is purple, meaning registration is closely split between Republicans and Democrats.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 37% Republican, 33.4% Democrat, 22.9% no party preference<\/p>\n Chris Duncan<\/p>\n Anti-Tariff Attorney, Democrat Tony Strickland (incumbent)<\/p>\n State Senator\/Businessman, Republican District 38<\/p>\n At a glance: This district<\/a> has southern Orange County and the northern coastal side of San Diego County. It includes Mission Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Carlsbad and Oceanside.<\/p>\n This is a race to watch because the incumbent, a Democrat, flipped this seat in 2022. It’s one of the districts the California GOP hopes to get back to chip away at the blue supermajority in the Senate.<\/p>\n Voter registration: 37.3% Democrat, 31.6% Republican, 23.2% no party preference<\/p>\n Catherine S. Blakespear (incumbent)<\/p>\n California State Senator, Democrat Laura Bassett<\/p>\n Small Business Owner, Republican CalMatters also contributed to this report.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The California state Senate is one-half of our state legislature. 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Website: carolinemenjivar.com<\/a>
Endorsements: See full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: tony4senate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Not available on website at time of publication.<\/p>\n
Website: susanrubio.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Not available on website at time of publication.<\/p>\n
Website: netter.vote<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: johnerickson4senate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: briangoldsmith.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: sarahernandez.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: rasconforsenate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: lolaforca.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: joelisuzzo.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: bobarchuletaforsenate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Not available on website at time of publication.<\/p>\n
Website: araceliforca.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Not available on website at time of publication.<\/p>\n
Website: votedrtate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: seyartoforsenate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n![\"Senate](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1790902581_10_.png\")
<\/p>\n
Website: avelinovalencia.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Not available on website at time of publication.<\/p>\n
Website: shaderforsenate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: votechrisduncan.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: stricklandforsenate.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: catherineblakespear.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n
Website: bassettforca.com<\/a>
Endorsements: Full list here<\/a><\/p>\n