The California State Senate is one-half of our state legislature. Along with the Assembly, it essentially serves as California’s Congress. On March 5, voters will choose representatives in half of the 40 state Senate districts, each home to more than 900,000 constituents.

Find your district

Not sure who represents you in the California State Legislature? CalMatters has a tool for that. Just type in your address and look it up. (Don't worry — your address is not stored!)

You can also use this same tool to find out where your legislator lands on the "How liberal or conservative are your legislators?" scale.

What does a state senator do?

• Represents constituents, holding meetings in the district and keeping attuned to priorities. 
• Participates 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 40 bills per two-year session, as well as specific budget items.

Why does this race matter?

State lawmakers draft and pass laws that govern the entire state. These laws can provide benefits that aren’t granted by the federal government, such as paid family leave or in-state tuition for undocumented college students. They can impose rules that apply statewide, like restrictions on buying guns, or not allowing restaurants to provide single-use plastic straws unless a customer requests it. They can also set minimum standards for the state and allow cities and counties to go further — for instance, the state minimum wage is $15 an hour for businesses with more than 25 employees, but the city of L.A.'s hourly minimum wage went up to $16.04 in July 2022.

Where are the party lines drawn?

Around three-quarters of lawmakers in both California’s Assembly and State Senate are Democrats. There are still divisions among lawmakers that lead to drawn-out arguments and prevent legislation from moving forward.

You might recognize their work from …

In recent years, the Legislature has:

• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2021) to make ethnic studies a graduation requirement for California high schoolers.
• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2021) allowing duplexes to be built on single-family home lots, effectively ending single-family zoning.
• Passed a bill (signed into law in 2020) to create a task force to determine how the state might deliver reparations to Black descendants of enslaved people.

What’s on the agenda for the next term?

There are lots of statewide problems to tackle — the threat of wildfires, climate change, the highest poverty rate in the country, the cost of housing, and more.

Background

The state Senate saw a shake-up in 2022 due to a combination of term limits and new district maps following the 2020 Census. Senators serve staggered, four-year terms, and the 20 odd-numbered districts are on the ballot this year. So some voters didn’t get to pick a state senator in 2022 but will this year.

The current Senate has 32 Democrats and eight Republicans. If the GOP flips at least five seats, Democrats would lose their two-thirds supermajority, which allows them to pass tax increases or put constitutional amendments on the ballot without any Republican votes.

State senators are paid $128,215 a year, plus $214 a day for expenses when the Legislature is in session. Party leaders get higher pay.

The top two finishers in the March 5 primary races, regardless of party, move on to the November general election.

District 23

At a glance: The district includes the Santa Clarita, Antelope valleys. The seat is open because state Sen. Scott Wilk, a Republican, is being term limited out. The Los Angeles Times notes that "the region is a swing district and both parties are fighting to win the seat."

Voter registration: 40.44% Democrat, 29.97% Republican, 21% no party preference

Who's running:

Kip Mueller
Civil rights attorney, Democrat
Website: KippForSentate
Endorsements: See full list here

Suzette Valladares
Nonprofit executive director, Republican
Website: SuzetteValladares.com
Endorsements: See full list here

James "DJ" Hamburger
Battalion staff officer in the Army National Guard, high school French teacher
Website: VoteHamburger.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Ollie McCaulley
Business executive, Democrat
Website: McCaulleyForStateSenator.poliengine.com

Blanca Gomez
Sign language interpreter, Democrat
Website: VoteBlancaForCongress.com

District 25

At a glance: Glendale and Pasadena — this is your district. The northern side of the district includes the Angeles National Forest and also stretches to parts of Rancho Cucamonga and Upland in the east. It is one of the state’s most ethnically diverse districts.

Voter registration: 46.2% Democrat, 22.4% Republican, 25.3% no party preference

The backstory: Anthony Portantino is reaching his term limit in this safely Democratic district. Candidates include Democratic Party and labor favorite Sasha Renée Peréz, an Alhambra city councilmember and former mayor of the city, and Monterey Park city councilmember and businesswoman Yvonne Yiu, who unsuccessfully ran for state controller in 2022 and has largely self-funded her campaign.

Who's running:

Sasha Renée Pérez
Alhambra Vice Mayor, Democrat
Website: SashaReneePerez.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Teddy Choi
Professor/Insurance agent, Democrat
Website: TeddyChoiForStateSenate.org

Yvonne Yiu
Councilmember/small businesswoman, Democrat
Website: YvonneYiu.com
Endorsements: See full list here

Sandra Armenta
Rosemead Councilmember/teacher, Democrat
Website: SandraArmenta4Senate.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Elizabeth Wong Ahlers
Crescenta Valley Councilmember, Republican
Website: Elizabeth4Senate24.com

More voter resources:

• Your guide to California’s Senate District 25 race: Northeast L.A. (Los Angeles Times)

District 27

At a glance: Straddles Los Angeles and Ventura counties. Includes the L.A. communities of Canoga Park, Chatsworth, Encino, Porter Ranch, Reseda, Lake Balboa, Tarzana, West Hills, Winnetka, and Woodland Hills as well as the cities of Agoura Hills, Calabasas, Hidden Hills, Malibu, Moorpark, Simi Valley, Thousand Oaks, Westlake Village and part of Santa Clarita. The district leans Democratic. That favors the incumbent, Henry Stern.

Voter registration: 43% Democratic, 27% Republican, 24% no party preference

Who’s running:

Henry Stern (Incumbent)
California State Senator, Democrat
Website: HenryStern.org

Susan A. Collins
Neighborhood councilwoman, Democrat
Website: CollinsForSenate2024.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Lucie Volotzky
Mother and business owner, Republican
Website: LucieVolotzky.com
Endorsements: Full list here

District 33

At a glance: This district includes the Los Angeles County cities and communities of Cudahy, Bell, Bell Gardens, Lakewood, part of Los Angeles, Lynwood, Maywood, Signal Hill, Paramount, South Gate, Vernon, Walnut Park, Huntington Park, and most of Long Beach. The district leans heavily Democratic.

Voter registration: 58% Democratic, 12% Republican, 24% no party preference

Who’s running:

Lena A. Gonzalez
California State Senator, Democrat
Website: VoteLenaGonzalez.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Sharifah A. Hardie
CEO and Business Consultant, Republican
Website: SharifahHardieForSenate.com

Mario Paz
Accountant, Republican

District 35

At a glance: The South Los Angeles County district includes Carson, San Pedro, Compton, West Compton, Gardena, Harbor City, Hawthorne, Inglewood, Lawndale, Lennox, West Carson, Watts, Willowbrook, and Wilmington. Incumbent state Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat, is leaving office due to term limits.

Voter registration: Nearly 60% Democrat, nearly 11% Republican, 21% no party preference

The backstory: Incumbent state Sen. Steven Bradford, a Democrat, is leaving office due to term limits. The Los Angeles Times describes this race as Laura Richardson's comeback attempt: She was a state Assemblymember and won a special election to Congress when she was disciplined by the House Ethics Committee for, among other things, using taxpayer-funded resources for personal and political activities. She lost her next reelection bid.

Who's running:

Michelle Chambers
Community justice advocate, Democrat
Website: MichelleForCalifornia.com
Endorsements: Full list here

LaMar Lyons
Financial consultant, Democrat
Website: LaMarLyons35thsenate2024.com

Nilo Vega Michelin
Teacher, El Camino Community College governing board member, Democrat
Website: NiloMichelin.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Alex Monteiro
Hawthorne councilmember and nonprofit director, Democrat
Website: Monteiro4StateSenate2024.com
Endorsements: Full list here

Laura Richardson
Businesswoman and housing advocate, Democrat
Website: LauraForCA.com

Albert Robles
Attorney and businessman, Democrat
Website: VoteAlbertRobles.com

Jennifer Trichelle-Marie Williams
Accountant and businessswoman, Democrat
Website: Jennifer4Senate.com
Endorsements: Full list here

James Arlandus Spencer
Environmental consultant, Republican

More voter resources:
Your Guide To California's Senate District 35 Race: South L.A. County (Los Angeles Times)

District 37

At a glance: This district encompasses most of Orange County and its cultural and geographic differences — the coastal region from Huntington to Laguna Beach, the more commercial city of Orange, the city of Irvine, plus Whiting Ranch and Ronald W. Caspers Wilderness parks in the east. The district's makeup explains some of the top issues in the region: open space, affordable housing, an aging population and traffic.

Voter registration: 37.1% Democrat, 33.0% Republican, 23.8% no party preference

The backstory: A better question might be: Who isn’t running for the state Senate seat that Dave Min of Irvine is vacating to run for Congress? Min flipped the district from red to blue in 2020, and the Democratic majority has grown since then, though it’s only by 4 percentage points. State Sen. Josh Newman of Fullerton has the advantage of incumbency: due to redistricting, he’s eligible to run for this seat. Another familiar face from the Legislature: former Assemblymember Steven Choi, a Republican and former mayor of Irvine. Several candidates do not appear to have active campaign websites.

Who's running

Steven "Steve" Choi
Small businessman/educator, Republican
Website: StevenChoi.org
Endorsements: See full list here

Josh Newman (Incumbent)
Orange County State Senator, Democrat
Website: NewmanForSenate.com
Endorsements: See full list here

Guy Selleck
Small business owner, Republican
Website: SelleckForSenate.com

Anthony C. Kuo
Businessman, Republican
Website: AnthonyKuo.org
Endorsements: See full list here

Alex Mohajer
Civil Service Advocate, Democrat
Website: AlexMohajer.com
Endorsements: See list here

Crystal Miles
Business owner/councilmember, Republican
Website: ElectMilesForSenate.com
Endorsements: See full list here

Jacob Niles
Surgical coordinator, Democrat

Jenny Suarez
Respiratory therapist, Democrat

Gabrielle Ashbaugh
Small business owner, Democrat

Stephanie Le
Medical authorization coordinator, Democrat

Leticia Correa
Neurosurgical technologist, Democrat

More voter resources:

• Who Is Vying To Represent Orange County In The State Senate (Orange County Register)

More reading

• California Legislator Tracker (CalMatters): A tool where you can track where legislators fall on the political spectrum, and which lawmakers have emerged as leaders on specific issues.
• How Diverse Is The California Legislature? (CalMatters): An interactive tool that lets you input your demographic information — including age, gender, sexual orientation and income — and see how well our state lawmakers reflect those traits.

LAist staff also contributed to this report.