2020 California State Senate election


The 2020 California State Senate election was held on Tuesday, November 3, 2020, with the primary election scheduled for March 3, 2020. Voters in the 20 odd-numbered districts of the California State Senate elected their representatives. The elections coincided with the elections for other offices, including for U.S. president and the state assembly.

Retiring incumbents

  • [California's California's 5th State Senate district|5th State Senate district|5th]: Cathleen Galgiani : Termed out of office
  • [California's California's 13th State Senate district|13th State Senate district|13th]: Jerry Hill : Termed out of office
  • [California's California's 15th State Senate district|15th State Senate district|15th]: Jim Beall : Termed out of office
  • [California's California's 17th State Senate district|17th State Senate district|17th]: Bill Monning : Termed out of office
  • [California's California's 19th State Senate district|19th State Senate district|19th]: Hannah-Beth Jackson : Termed out of office
  • [California's California's 23rd State Senate district|23rd State Senate district|23rd]: Mike Morrell : Termed out of office

Results

District 1

The 1st district stretches along the eastern edge of the state from the Oregon border to the Lake Tahoe area, wrapping around the Sacramento Valley along the northern Sierra Nevada to the eastern Sacramento suburbs. The incumbent was Republican Brian Dahle, who was elected in a special election with 53.9% of the vote in 2019.

Candidates

  • Brian Dahle, incumbent state senator
  • Linda Kelleher, retired teacher
  • Pamela Dawn Swartz, businesswoman

District 3

The 3rd district encompasses the northern San Francisco Bay Area and the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta regions. It includes parts of the North Bay, Wine Country, and the Sacramento Valley. The incumbent was Democrat Bill Dodd, who was elected with 58.1% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 5

The 5th district is centered on the Sacramento–San Joaquin River Delta and forms the gateway between the Central Valley, the San Francisco Bay Area, the Sacramento metropolitan area, and Gold Country. The incumbent was Democrat Cathleen Galgiani, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 7

The 7th district is located in the East Bay east of the Berkeley Hills, taking in suburban and bedroom communities of San Francisco Bay Area. The incumbent was Democrat Steve Glazer, who was re-elected with 66.7% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 9

The 9th district encompasses the northern East Bay, stretching along the eastern shores of San Francisco Bay and San Pablo Bay. The incumbent was Democrat Nancy Skinner, who was elected with 62.2% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 11

The 11th district encompasses the northern San Francisco Peninsula, including the consolidated city-county of San Francisco and northern San Mateo County. The incumbent was Democrat Scott Wiener, who was elected with 51.0% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 13

The 13th district encompasses the San Francisco Peninsula and the northwestern reaches of Silicon Valley. The incumbent was Democrat Jerry Hill, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 15

The 15th district encompasses most of Silicon Valley, centered around San Jose. The incumbent was Democrat Jim Beall, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 17

The 17th district encompasses the extreme southern parts of the San Francisco Bay Area and northern Central Coast centering on the coastal Monterey Bay Area. The incumbent was Democrat Bill Monning, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 19

The 19th district takes in the southern Central Coast, including all of Santa Barbara County and western Ventura County. The incumbent was Democrat Hannah-Beth Jackson, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 21

The 21st district takes in northern Los Angeles County and parts of the High Desert including, the Antelope Valley, Victor Valley, and most of the Santa Clarita Valley. The incumbent was Republican Scott Wilk, who was elected with 52.8% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 23

The 23rd district encompasses a wide arc of the Inland Empire, circling clockwise from Rancho Cucamonga in the northwest to Menifee in the south. It also includes several resort communities in the San Bernardino Mountains and a sliver of the High Desert. The incumbent was Republican Mike Morrell, who was term-limited and could not run for reelection.

Candidates

District 25

The 25th district encompasses the San Gabriel Mountains and its adjacent San Gabriel Valley foothill communities, anchored by Glendale and Pasadena. The incumbent was Democrat Anthony Portantino, who was elected with 57.8% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 27

The 27th district takes in the Conejo Valley, parts of the San Fernando Valley, and a slice of the Santa Clarita Valley, including most of Los Angeles's western suburbs, as well as Simi Valley and Thousand Oaks. The incumbent was Democrat Henry Stern, who was elected with 55.9% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

  • Houman Salem, businessman
  • Henry Stern, incumbent state senator

District 29

The 29th district straddles the intersection of Los Angeles County, Orange County, and San Bernardino County. It encompasses the northern Santa Ana Valley, including western and central Anaheim, Fullerton, and Yorba Linda. The incumbent was Republican Ling Ling Chang, who was elected in a special election with 33.8% of the vote in 2018.

Candidates

District 31

The 31st district takes in northwestern Riverside County, including Corona, Moreno Valley, and Riverside. The incumbent was Democrat Richard Roth, who was re-elected with 60.5% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 33

The 33rd district encompasses a strip of the Gateway Cities, stretching from parts of eastern Los Angeles to the coast, including the Port of Long Beach and a significant portion of Long Beach itself. The incumbent was Democrat Lena Gonzalez, who was elected in a special election with 69.8% of the vote in 2019.

Candidates

District 35

The 35th district takes in the inland portions of the South Bay stretching from Inglewood in the north down to the Port of Los Angeles and the San Pedro neighborhood of Los Angeles. The incumbent was Democrat Steven Bradford, who was elected with 53.5% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 37

The 37th district encompasses central Orange County, centered on eastern Anaheim and Irvine. The incumbent was Republican John Moorlach, who was re-elected with 57.0% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates

District 39

The 39th district is centered on downtown San Diego and mainly stretches along the city's coastline, including part of San Diego Bay.
The incumbent was Democrat State Senate President pro tempore Toni Atkins, who was elected with 62.5% of the vote in 2016.

Candidates